CH 105

Chapter 105 Confession

“Zhongming! Zhongming!” Bai Shiyan slammed the door outside the iron fence, waking up the person inside.

“Zhongming, why are you here!”

He saw the face raised under the lamp, confirmed that he had found the right person, and fumbled for the key to open the iron cell door: “Our family dungeon has not locked up a person for eight hundred years, and once locked up, it is a valuable one.”

Liu Zhongming lowered his head, and gradually regained consciousness amidst his ramblings, only then did he realize that he was standing against a wooden pillar, his hands locked behind him by fine steel chains, and his ankles were also buckled on the ground. He couldn’t struggle, but shaking around, the narrow dungeon was full of harsh sounds.

“Don’t shake it,” Bai Shiyan carried a bunch of keys, and poked them into the keyhole one by one, sweat dripping from his brow, “You can’t break it, don’t hurt yourself.” 

“Are you a fake! Why don’t you even know the keys to your own house!”

Bai Shiyan was irritated by his urging, and threw the keys on the iron railing: “Second Liu, don’t be so aggressive, I risked my legs being broken by my father and uncle to come save you, what are you urging me for!”

Liu Zhongming was even more irritable when he watched him fail several times.

“Leave me alone first, my father can’t do anything to me, hurry up and go to the other courtyard to see Chenzhou. If he was caught by those two unreasonable old men, he will die…” 

Before he finished speaking, heavy footsteps came from outside the closed iron door, and Bai Shiyan threw away the key in a panic and wanted to find a place to hide, but the space here was limited, there was only one cell, so there was no place to hide.

But within a few breaths, the iron door opened. Liu Weizheng was walking down the steps first. Liu Zhongming was about to look away in anger, but his eyes were suddenly drawn by Bai Shining behind him.

Bai Shining held a thin wrist with one hand.

The man’s long hair was disheveled, and his snow-white jacket seemed to have been soaked in blood. He lowered his head powerlessly, and was dragged down by Bai Shining. He only struggled convulsively for a few times before being stepped on his back and pressed to the ground.

Liu Zhongming’s brain was like firepowder exploded, he shook the iron chain in his hand and jingled it loudly, “I said it has nothing to do with him! Let him go!” 

“It has nothing to do with him?” Liu Weizheng sneered: “If it wasn’t for his eloquent tongue and deceiving you with the so-called lie about the destruction of the two families…”

“I believe him!” Liu Zhongming interrupted sharply: “He didn’t lie! I believe he didn’t lie!

“How can it not be a lie if it’s just a bunch of empty words?” Liu Weizheng was staring at him: “Not to mention that you are born in my Liu family, even if you have been heir apparent for a few years, what is happening in the court, did you just discover it today? If it wasn’t for his tricky words to confuse you, how could you have this kind of rebellious thought.”

Liu Zhongming did not give in: “You know better than me what is going on in the court! You should know better that what he said is not a lie!” 

“Not a lie?” Liu Weizheng kicked the Qu Chenzhou’s ankle: “You even believe in the nonsense of resurrecting from the dead. Just a few simple words and you are willing to oppose me? It was in vain for me to teach you to read the books of sages and tell right from wrong.” 

“So what if I read books of sages?” Liu Zhongming argued with reason: “Everyone in the court reads the books of sages, but what about the world? One flood floods the people everywhere! Innocent people become slaves. Is this the peaceful and prosperous world you want?” 

“Youare the Shangshu, yet all you know how to do is tremblingly look at the ground below the tip of your nose and turn a deaf ear to the outside world. You are simply a corpse.” 

“Older sister as a noble concubine, why can’t my sister have an heir? Why does my Liu family having the idea of ​​seizing the throne be treasonous!”

“Seeing the flys and dogs in court, you are one of them!”

“Zhongming!” Bai Shiyan saw that he was yelling so loudly that he almost lost his mind, and peeking at his father and uncle’s expressions, he hurriedly called him, “Stop it!” 

Bai Shining glanced over sharply: “Shiyan!”

“…” Bai Shiyan had nowhere to hide, so he stood obediently by the door and replied, “Father…” 

“Did you already know about Zhongming’s absurdity?”

Bai Shiyan understood his father’s sternness, and knelt obediently, “Yes.” 

“You two are not outsiders.” Liu Weizheng continued as if he had not heard Liu Zhongming’s roaring rebuke just now and coldly smiled: “If it were outsiders who did not know, they would think that the two of us old ones are gone, now the two of you are in charge.”

Liu Zhongming’s vigorous effort was pushed aside by the others, and seeing Qu Chenzhou lying motionless on the ground, he finally panted heavily. After regaining his sanity, his voice softened.

“Father, I told you about this during the Mid-Autumn Festival last year. I’m not joking. My sister is alone in the palace and has been waiting for us. Do you have the heart to see her disappointed? You used to love sister the most, how could you bear to let her down?” 

“Zhongming, answer my question.” Liu Weizheng was not moved by his pleading at all, and asked: “It’s not the first year for your sister to enter the palace, and you are not ignorant, why did you suddenly have the idea of ​​seizing the throne? Was it because of him?”

Liu Zhongming’s gaze was fixed on Qu Chenzhou.

He wanted to deny it, but his father would definitely not be confused by vague words. In fact, if Qu Chenzhou hadn’t appeared, he would never have thought about such a thing.

“Zhongming, your lofty ambitions, was he giving you confidence? Was it because he said that he can predict the future?”

Bai Shiyan hurriedly stood up and said first: “Uncle, it is not a lie! Chenzhou can really predict the future! During the Mid-Autumn Festival, he told me that my mother would have a son! Look, wasn’t it fulfilled?” 

“Chenzhou? The call is very affectionate,” Bai Shining sneered, leaning over to hold Qu Chenzhou’s long hair. He raised it upwards: “He really knows how to draw people together and provoke you one by one. Is it because of this face?”

Liu Zhongming saw that Qu Chenzhou’s eyes were blurred, mind dazed, his face pale, and there was a twitch on his lips. The bloodstains were shocking and he choked for a moment.

Liu Weizheng looked at his son’s dazed gaze, then glanced at his feet, and asked, “Zhongming, did he give you the confidence to speak nonsense? What if you didn’t have him? Would you still dare?”

“If there was no…” Liu Zhongming murmured and repeated hoarsely, then suddenly understood the meaning of his father’s words, and screamed out of control: “Father! No! Please forgive me…” 

In his choked hysteria, Bai Shining slowly raised his hand, then with the force that could break a stone with a palm, he slapped down like lightning.

Qu Chenzhou’s whole body twitched violently, spurting out a mouthful of blood. His hands and feet drooped limply, like a marionette that lost its traction in an instant, and he collapsed on the ground and did not move anymore.

Liu Zhongming’s mind went blank, his ears were buzzing, he couldn’t hear anything, he just felt big tears rolling out uncontrollably.

He blinked his eyes, and his vision became clear, but Qu Chenzhou was still silent, and in an instant, tears filled his eyes again.

The whole world seemed to be gradually falling in front of him, shattering into blood red.

“Chenzhou…Chenzhou…” He opened his mouth, a mouthful of blood gushed out from his lips, and flowed down to his chin, rolling together with tears: “Chenzhou, you…wake up…” 

Bai Shiyan was also frightened. He was in a daze, and murmured to himself with trembling lips: “How could this be…how could it be…”

Liu Weizheng was slowly coming to the iron fence, looking at his distraught son, he said in a deep voice: “The son of my Liu family is so worthless. It’s just a lowly slave who died, yet he cried so ugly.”

“…” Liu Zhongming’s eyes seemed to pass through him, and he fell to the ground, moving his lips, but he couldn’t say a word.

“Zhongming, let me ask you again, do you still dare to think of seizing the throne?”

“I…” Liu Zhongming’s voice was hoarse, and was broken intermittently by tears, but as if he was afraid that his father would not hear clearly, he gritted his teeth, and answered word by word: “I dare.”

“I know Dayu will be flooded again, refugees everywhere.”

“I want widows, old and young, to fill their stomachs, and men to earn money and food to support their wife and children.”

“I want those who commit crimes to be brought to justice.”

“I want people who worship their superior to not fill the court.”

“I want Dayu to abolish slavery, and I want my sister… to have her own son and ascend to the throne.”

He clearly remembered his wish, remembered Qu Chenzhou’s request, and every word made him more sober.

“If you are timid and afraid of getting into trouble, then stay in the corner, or kill me now, or drive me out of the house, or I will not give up on this goal!”

Liu Weizheng lowered his head slightly, and the candlelight above his head cast light on his face. The shadow made it impossible to see his expression clearly.

The atmosphere in the dungeon was suffocating, only Liu Zhongming could not stop crying bitterly.

Bai Shiyan secretly glanced at his cousin who was in a trance, and felt sour in his nose.

Liu Zhongming’s chest heaved and his voice was choked with sobs, as if he was throwing everything out: “I tell you! Not only do I believe his words, I like him! I like him! Can you hear me clearly! I want to marry him as the Shizi consort! “

“So what if you kill him! If you are capable, kill me with him!”

“I will marry him alive! If he is dead, I want to marry his corpse!”

“Don’t!” Someone was so frightened that he couldn’t stand it anymore, got up and suddenly interrupted his words.

All eyes were on Qu Chenzhou.

“…Sorry…” Qu Chenzhou raised his head, met the eyes of Liu Weizheng and Bai Shining, bowed his head apologetically, and laid down on the ground again, pretending to be dead: “You…continue.” 

“…” Liu Zhongming who has yet to dry his tears and the tenderness on his face had not faded, opened his mouth blankly: “Ah? This…”

***

“General Bai…” Qu Chenzhou sat on the ground, covered his face with his knees, and said in mourning: ” Please help me…”

Bai Shiyan looked at Liu Zhongming who was arguing with the two fathers in the distance, sighed and patted him: “Don’t worry.”

Qu Chenzhou looked up hopefully.

“Don’t worry,” Bai Shiyan continued, “No one can save you.”

Qu Chenzhou fell down again.

“Don’t be naive, even if it was my mother, she can only protect you for a while, but not for a lifetime. Zhongming is really pissed off by you this time.” 

Of course he could see that cannibalistic look in his eyes, but he was also forced.

“General Bai, what can I do? Lord Marquis and General Bai forced me to perform a show to test Shizi’s character, otherwise I would die,” he lamented, “What can I do?” 

Bai Shiyan comforted him: “Extending the head would meet a knife, retracting the head is also a knife, accept your fate. Look at Zhongming’s reaction just now, anyway, he will definitely not kill you, it is much better than the two old men.” 

Qu Chenzhou wanted to cry but had no tears. Any amount of strategy was pointless.

“Looking at it this way, you also convinced my father and uncle too? That’s amazing,” Bai Shiyan asked enthusiastically, “What did you say? Why did they even believe it?” 

“What else can I say?” Qu Chenzhou choked speechlessly: “Everyone who can be recruited was recruited.”

Not only the confession to Liu Zhongming and Bai Shiyan, but besides the entanglement between himself and Liu Zhongming that was still hidden in his stomach, other past events, all was forced out of him.

In the past, he only thought of Liu Zhongming as powerful, but he never thought that Lord Marquis Anding would be even more difficult to deal with.

However, it was precisely because Marquis Anding and General Bai had a better understanding of the situation in the court that they understood that what he said was true.

“So, my father and uncle agreed?” Bai Shiyan asked.

“Of course they agreed, they agreed from the very beginning. But I guess that the two of them are involved in every move in the court, and they could not come forward without authorization. Even if they agree, it is Shizi and General Bai who will be the main ones in charge.” 

Qu Chenzhou moved the coat on his shoulders. The sticky middle coat felt very uncomfortable to wear, but Bai Shining, as if he chicken blood was not worth money, insisted on pouring a whole basin on him.

They were about the same age, but why can’t General Bai be more stable like Lord Marquis.

“However, I think the bottom line for Lord Marquis and General Bai was that it could not pose any threat to the Bai Liu family. Otherwise, it is very likely that you two will be sacrificed.” 

He pointed to the three people in the distance: “Shizi didn’t let General Bai go over because of this. Therefore, if General Bai regrets now, there is still time.” 

“F*ck, Second Liu, you look down on me so much.” Bai Shiyan cursed lowly and was about to go over, when he was pulled by Qu Chenzhou.

“General Bai, let the Shizi talk. If you stand by the Shizi’s side firmly, Shizi will not hide anything from you. If you go over halfway now, it will be bad.” 

Bai Shiyan sighed, he was really not good at these things. He can’t compare with Zhongming’s long-term perspective, let alone the little monster with different pupils in front of him, it’s better to save his thinking and listen to the person’s ideas honestly.

“Chenzhou, did you just hear it?” He coughed lightly and changed the subject: “Zhongming…he wants to marry you as the Shizi Consort!” 

“Why didn’t he tell me about this! That’s going too far!”

“When did you and Zhongming get together? You kept it from me?”

“No…” Qu Chenzhou listened to his rambling for a long time, and then said after a long while: “Shizi and I… How is that possible?”

The author has something to say: 

Qu: No… Look, the Shizi is ready to beep–a dead corpse… It’s so frightening