Chapter 112: The Underworld Also Has Privileges |
The most crucial point was that the Jing Kingdom was now facing internal troubles and external threats.
Due to the years of war with the refugee army, both national and military strength were far inferior to before.
The forty thousand troops Liao Shouyi took to Liaoyuan City were all elites.
Now, those meeting the attack of the Ma tribe from the North Desert were the remaining fifty thousand veterans, plus the forty thousand new recruits conscripted in recent years.
There were still some local prefecture troops left, but they had been repeatedly reduced by Emperor Chongming to strictly prevent the proliferation of local military power.
For Emperor Chongming, he had to rely on Liao Shouyi to guard the Southwest and block the Wu Kingdom's invasion.
Yet he also worried that he would become like Han Shizhong or Ma Huaian, establishing himself as king of his territory.
Although Qiaohua and her son received a massive heavenly grace, with many servants and maids taking care of their daily lives, and imperial palace guards responsible for their safety.
But how was this not a form of house arrest?
Hearing him say this, Qiaohua and her son felt terrified in their hearts and cut off the thought of going to Liaoyuan City.
In fact, not only them, but even Qi Ermao and the others couldn't go either.
Their children all served as military officers in Liaoyuan City, which were all taboo to Emperor Chongming.
The twenty-fifth year of Chongming.
Li Guangmao, who loved to drink, was about to pass away, and Chu Xun naturally had to come visit.
Li Guangmao was considered to have a long life, having lived to be over seventy, exceeding many people's expectations.
When he was young, his body was as strong as an ox, but now he had been lying in bed for months without touching the ground, reduced to skin and bones.
But he had no fear of death; instead, because his grandson fed him a sip of wine, his face was ruddy.
Even when Chu Xun brought ginseng slices to feed him, he waved his hand and refused.
"No need, I can't even move, what's the point of taking a few more breaths."
Although very weak, his voice was clearer than ordinary people's.
Many people listening felt that perhaps he could hold on for a while longer.
Only Chu Xun saw clearly that the Underworld Emissary was already standing outside the door.
This meant Li Guangmao's lifespan had very little left.
Li Guangmao waved his hand, asking everyone in the room to leave, leaving only Chu Xun.
After the door was closed, he asked Chu Xun to come closer.
Deliberately lowering his voice, he said, "I know why Ah Xun doesn't come back."
Chu Xun was stunned. He knew?
Seeing his slightly surprised expression, a bit of complacent smile appeared on Li Guangmao's face.
"You came late, you might not know the grudge between the martial artist surnamed Song in the county and our village."
"Ah Xun promised Anxiu and Sanchun before that he would avenge Uncle Shigen."
"The night he left, the entire family of the surname Song died."
"I don't know what Ah Xun did, but he definitely did it."
Pausing for a moment, Li Guangmao's face became a bit more ruddy, but his voice was pressed even lower, "Don't tell this to anyone outside. Ah Xun not coming back is naturally because he's afraid of implicating us."
Chu Xun was dumbfounded, only then understanding what Li Guangmao meant by "knowing".
"That brat Ah Xun really has great abilities, and he sure knows how to hide," Li Guangmao sighed with emotion.
It was just that his pupils became increasingly unfocused, and his voice grew lower.
"When I go to the Underworld, I wonder if there will still be wine to drink."
"Still the Bai family's old shop's... is good..."
"In the next life... I will also go brew..."
His voice gradually disappeared, his pupils completely dilated, and he breathed his last.
He left so peacefully, without too many regrets, only expectations for the next life.
The Underworld Emissary floated into the room, lifting the black chain and hook.
Chu Xun swept a glance over, his voice deep, "Do not be disrespectful, just invite him back to the Underworld, otherwise I will scatter your soul!"
The Underworld Emissary's body trembled. Chu Xun controlled the authority of the Zhangnan County City God; a lowly Underworld Emissary naturally dared not disobey.
He hurriedly put away the black chain and hook, "Strictly obeying the High Immortal's decree!"
Li Guangmao's soul left his body. He died a natural death at a ripe old age, so naturally, he wouldn't become a resentful spirit.
After leaving the body, his face was blank.
The Underworld Emissary stepped forward to hold him, saying politely, "Li Guangmao, your lifespan has ended, please follow me to the Underworld."
Since becoming an Underworld Emissary, this was the first time he had been so polite to a human soul.
But the Underworld Emissary's Yin energy was too heavy, plus the magical artifact in his hand had an innate suppressing effect on souls, making Li Guangmao unable to help but shiver.
Chu Xun swept another glance over, and the Underworld Emissary hurriedly hid the black chain and hook behind his back.
"Go back and tell the Civil Judge, there is no need to look at the Book of Good and Evil. This person has never done evil in his life, he deserves to reincarnate well."
The Underworld Emissary was stunned. The County-level City God controlled the Book of Good and Evil, the Prefecture-level controlled the Mirror of Good and Evil, and the Capital-level controlled the Platform of Good and Evil.
Every soul had to go through the process of distinguishing good and evil to determine where they would reincarnate.
For Chu Xun to directly intervene like this was naturally against the rules.
But Chu Xun didn't care about that. He saw things very clearly now.
What rules this and rules that, it was nothing more than whoever had the bigger fist made the rules.
Ancient incense gods even dared to steal human merit, so what was the point of the so-called distinguishing good and evil?
Since they didn't want to follow the rules, then he could do the same.
Just as the Underworld Emissary was about to lead Li Guangmao away, Chu Xun hesitated for a moment, then suddenly called out, "Brother Guangmao."
Li Guangmao turned his head blankly and asked, "Who are you calling?"
Chu Xun looked at him quietly without speaking again.
Li Guangmao's eyes gradually became clearer than before.
Looking at Chu Xun, who was much younger than himself, he seemed to understand something, and a look of pleasant surprise appeared in his eyes.
Just as he was about to speak, Chu Xun said, "When you go to the Underworld, there is no need to say much. Reincarnating well in the next life, you will definitely have endless fine wine to drink."
Li Guangmao's eyes grew brighter and brighter as he listened, and he laughed heartily, "So that's how it is, so that's how it is..."
"I knew it, how could someone as loyal and righteous as Ah Xun never come back even once."
He didn't say anything more, but instead pulled the Underworld Emissary, urging, "Let's go quickly."
Having resolved the last regret in his heart, he couldn't wait to reincarnate.
Watching the Underworld Emissary and Li Guangmao leave, Chu Xun then called the Li family members in.
Soon, the sound of crying came from the room.
Many old people in the village, such as Qi Ermao, Zhang Erzhu, Qiaohua, Chunni, etc., also couldn't help but shed tears.
Not long after, in the City God Temple.
The Civil Judge, holding the Judge's Brush and the Book of Good and Evil, remained silent for a moment after hearing the Underworld Emissary's relayed words.
Then, with a casual stroke of the Judge's Brush on the Book of Good and Evil, he read, "Hereby, Li Guangmao, a commoner of Pinecone Village in the Jing Kingdom, has done no evil in his life, and shall reincarnate into an upper-third-class household."
An upper-third-class household meant a wealthy local family, a scholarly family, or an aristocratic family.
It was just that the Six Paths of Reincarnation were determined by heavenly rules, so exactly which family he would ultimately settle in was not something the Civil Judge could interfere with.
A few months later, Qi Ermao's wife Chunni passed away, and Zhang Erzhu, who had fought against the refugees together during Emperor Taizu's era, also passed away at the end of this year.
The village suddenly lost several people.
"Chu Chen" was already "thirty-three" years old, considered middle-aged.
The sixty-five-year-old Qi Ermao, after presiding over several funerals, was visibly more haggard.
The number of times he came to Chu Xun's house increased significantly, for nothing else but pure chatting.
Saying a few words about the east, a few words about the west.
When he was really tired of talking, he would sit there, blankly watching Chu Xun forge iron.
Many times he wondered what kind of conviction could support a person to continuously forge iron for sixteen years.
And it was always the same thing.
He had asked many times, and Chu Xun's answer had never changed.
"I want to forge a sword."
"What kind of sword?"
"A sword that can cut all the wind in the world."
Qi Ermao couldn't understand. Sometimes when he thought of this answer, he would reach out his hand to try and see if he could catch the wind.
Of course, he couldn't catch it.
That was the wind.
His much sparser white hair fluttered in the wind.
When Chu Xun looked over, there would be a bit more sorrow in his eyes.
Qi Ermao noticed, he would smile at him, "It's fine, birth, aging, sickness, and death are human nature."
"You are still considered young, how much have you seen. Back when Aunt Anxiu left, Brother Xun he..."
Halfway through speaking, Qi Ermao couldn't help but sigh, forcefully rubbing his thigh which had been somewhat numb recently.
"I wonder how Brother Xun is doing now, if he's still alive. He should still be alive, right? Did he really not tell you when he would come back?"
Chu Xun looked down at the furnace fire. There wasn't much charcoal, but the flames were rising.
"He didn't say, but you should have a chance to see him once," Chu Xun said.
Qi Ermao's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he couldn't help but stand up and ask, "When?"
He had come to play at Chu Xun's house since he was a child, and their feelings were deep.
Chu Xun was a legend in the eyes of their generation. Even Liao Shouyi, who had already been conferred as the Duke of Wei, didn't carry as much weight in their eyes as Chu Xun.
If he could see him once before he died, he would have no regrets in this life.
Chu Xun didn't answer directly, only saying, "When it's time to meet, you will naturally meet."
Qi Ermao was not satisfied with this answer and muttered, "You kid are really different from Brother Xun, hiding and tucking away whatever you say, boring!"
Chu Xun didn't make a sound. With acquaintances around him passing away one after another, how could he not want to reveal his true identity and bid them a proper farewell.
It was just that while they were alive, there were too many taboos.
Only when they were about to die could Chu Xun control everything.
By the twenty-sixth year of Chongming.
The remnant troops of the refugee army, after years of fleeing, were besieged by the government army by the Fu River in the southeast of the Jing Kingdom.
Qi Songren led troops intending to forcefully break out, but was shot to death by a flurry of arrows.
Huang Qi didn't flee anymore, only hoping to protect these old subordinates who had followed him fleeing east and west for many years.
The government accepted his surrender, bound him tightly, and threw him into prison, waiting to be escorted to the Capital City for trial.
A few days later in the prison.
Huang Qi, wearing a prison uniform and heavy shackles, looked at the wall built with thick stones.
A bowl-sized "window" cast a ray of moonlight.
He just looked quietly like that, and after a long time, he sighed and said, "Mister was right, gazing at the moon indeed easily makes one homesick."
Footsteps came from behind, but he ignored them.
Sometimes jailers would come to patrol, it was just that today's footsteps seemed a bit more numerous.
A moment later, the prison door was opened.
The sound of shoes stepping on rotten thatch made Huang Qi turn around.
He saw a person standing in front of him wearing a black robe, covering his head and face, but judging from the exposed wrinkled back of the hand, it was clearly an old man.
Huang Qi was somewhat puzzled. That person didn't speak immediately, and only after the jailers left did he lift the hood on his head.
Carefully identifying him by the moonlight, Huang Qi couldn't help but be stunned.
"Lord Zhang!?"
The person who came was none other than Zhang Jingheng.
It wasn't that the two hadn't seen each other over the years. During the Battle of the Capital City, Zhang Jingheng, in his capacity as Minister of Revenue, sat in the army to supervise the battle.
The Minister of War stood to the side, not even daring to let out a fart.
Huang Qi had thought he might suffer torture, or even be killed, but he never expected to see Zhang Jingheng here.
"Very surprised?" Zhang Jingheng asked.
"A little." Huang Qi nodded, "I didn't expect you to come."
"I also didn't expect you to surrender, I thought you would be tough to the death," Zhang Jingheng said.
"Are you here to laugh at me?" Huang Qi frowned.
"I originally came to kill you," Zhang Jingheng said. "These years you led the refugee army, bringing so many casualties to the Jing Kingdom, you deserve ten thousand deaths."
"According to national law, executing your nine generations would not be excessive. But someone sent me a letter, saying you had your own reasons, and asked me to come and listen."
Huang Qi didn't know who sent him the letter. He had a guess in his heart, but couldn't be sure.
Seeing him not speak, Zhang Jingheng said, "If you don't have a reason that can move me, you will have to die."
Huang Qi was stunned, seeming to hear another meaning.
Zhang Jingheng waved his hand, "Don't ask, just speak."
Huang Qi was silent for a moment, and then said, "Before the uprising, someone sent me thirty thousand taels of silver."
Zhang Jingheng raised his eyebrows upon hearing this, "Who?"
Instigating rebellion, causing the Jing Kingdom to suffer continuous natural disasters and man-made calamities today, deserves ten thousand deaths!
Huang Qi fell silent again, seeming to hesitate whether he should say it.
Until Zhang Jingheng said, "If you still want to shield others, I can only say ten thousand deaths are not to be pitied."
Having said that, he turned and was about to leave.
Huang Qi sighed and said, "Come closer."
Zhang Jingheng turned back and stepped forward without hesitation.
He knew Huang Qi had practiced good martial arts over the years, but he was not afraid in the slightest.
Implementing the national policy, he wasn't afraid of offending the powerful and noble of the world, so how could he be afraid of a defeated opponent.
When he came close, Huang Qi leaned in and said in a low voice, "The Duke of Ming, Lord Tang Shijun."
This name, like a thunderbolt striking, left Zhang Jingheng dumbfounded on the spot.
Immediately, his face turned gloomy, and he cursed, "I considered our fellow townsman sentiments, and someone wrote a letter to speak for you, which is why I came to see you. Yet you are so cruel and unscrupulous, you deserve ten thousand deaths!"
Tang Shijun was his benevolent teacher, and also the person he respected the most in his life.
Even his uncle Chu Xun had to be ranked second.
Yet Huang Qi said the person who funded the salt workers' uprising was Tang Shijun.
To Zhang Jingheng's ears, this was a tremendous insult.
It insulted Tang Shijun's name, insulted his own good intentions, and even more so insulted the friendship of the person who spoke for him!
Huang Qi smiled bitterly and said, "You don't believe it either, right?"
"To tell the truth, when he came to see me and revealed his identity, I didn't believe it either."
"But this matter is absolutely true. If there is half a word of lie, let me be struck by five thunderbolts and die!"
Zhang Jingheng naturally wouldn't believe oaths. If swearing oaths was useful, the people in the world would be reduced by more than half.
But for some reason, he wanted to hear Huang Qi continue.
Huang Qi said, "He told me, if you can't test into the Capital City, then fight your way in, it will be easier."
"This world has already rotted at its roots, hiding countless ugly bugs. It needs a hard hoe to dig three feet into the ground and turn the soil over completely."
"He also said, after I turn the soil over, someone will cut away the rotten roots and sprinkle fertilizer. Only with the two working together can the Jing Kingdom be saved."
"It wasn't until the national policy was implemented that I realized the person coming to cut away the rotten roots was you."
Zhang Jingheng listened with a dumbfounded expression. If he only said the name Tang Shijun, he wouldn't believe it.
But when Huang Qi said someone would cut away the rotten roots, he believed it.
Because Tang Shijun had indeed said this sentence.
Wanting him to be the sharpest knife of the Jing Kingdom, to cut away the rotten sores that had grown from top to bottom.
But these words, by rights, should only be known to the two of them, master and disciple.
[End of Chapter]