Category: Let Me Shoulder this Blame!

T/N: I’m writing an original story?

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Chapter 178 – Historically Memorable Villainy Arc

“I know what you want to do, but you can’t do it. I have been suppressing the crown prince for so many years. Unless I am killed, the emperor will never be able to establish the true might of a ruler and will always live in my shadow. Only by killing me can the stagnant atmosphere in the imperial court be completely cleared out. Only then will the old evils of the imperial court be wiped out and force the threats stirring in the shadows to retreat,” Su Shi said.

Song Rong looked into Lu Li’s ice-cold eyes. The prime minister’s body, which was riddled with injuries, suddenly burst out with an irresistible force and majesty. The strength of the hand that gripped him became harder and harder, as if it was going to cut into his bone and meld with his flesh and blood.

“It was not easy to get to where I am today. Song Rong, you cannot ruin it…”

Hearing Lu Li calling out his name clearly, Song Rong’s body trembled. The hand he was holding suddenly tightened, and his burning heart finally became infinitely cold.

Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.

He had countless reasons to keep Lu Li alive, to clear his name, to help him recover his reputation, and to make everyone understand his painstaking efforts and sacrifices, but none of them were worth what the other party wanted.

It took Lu Li a lot of hard work and exhaustion to get to this point.

This was a path with a long-established ending. If he had to forcefully change it, the other party’s painstaking plan would really be ruined. Even if Lu Li survived, it would be meaningless.

The person in front of him has obviously reached his limit, but his eyes were still fixed on him persistently.

“I understand… Don’t worry, I won’t interfere anymore.”

Song Rong’s heart sank completely. There was no trace of heat left in his chest, but his tone was still very gentle. He suddenly leaned forward and hugged the person again.

“Qing Guang, I never told you that we met in the capital thirteen years ago… I still can’t forget that one meeting.”

Hearing his assurance, the stubborn light in those eyes suddenly flashed and finally dimmed, then the ice melted away, leaving only the peaceful relief of exhaustion.

It was as if Lu Li had suddenly let down all of his guard. He leaned against Song Rong’s shoulder meekly and listened quietly to his words.

The sharp edge in those eyes finally softened, but all the dazzling brilliance also dimmed.

Meeting his quiet gaze, Song Rong chuckled softly and gently stroked his wan and delicate eyebrows.

“Since that day, I have often thought that I, Song Rong, had no great ambitions since he was a child. If I can spend time with him in this life, it will not be wasted.”

Translations by Vanilla Muse. Read on vmnovels [dot] com

His hands were full of calluses from the army, and he did not dare to use too much force. He just brushed the eyebrows under his fingers as gently as possible, and carefully smoothed the slight frown lines between them.

“Now that I’ve spent time with you, my wish has been fulfilled. How about you let Song Rong send the right minister off [on his final journey]?”

The dark eyes were gentle and penetrating, but there was a bleeding pain hidden in them.

Su Shi met his gaze and finally felt relieved at long last. He closed his eyes and nodded: “Okay…”

He had only spoken one word when he heard harsh noises coming from outside.

The imperial bodyguard shouted loudly for someone to stop, but the noise continued. There was the sound of rushing footsteps heading towards them from afar.

Su Shi’s eyes narrowed slightly. The guard that he had let down was pick back up. He raised his hand to hold down Song Rong, who was instinctively on guard.

If someone saw the emperor’s uncle – the current regent, who had rushed back to the capital to aid the young emperor – was actually locked up in the side hall, nasty gossip would spread about the young emperor. Even if they didn’t pin him as an incapable ruler, they would still call him a tyrant who treated a member of the imperial family harshly, and he would become someone to get rid of once he has served his purpose.

“Don’t worry, if the emperor wants my life, there is no need to make such a big show of it.”

After soothing Song Rong in a low voice, Su Shi listened intently to what was going on outside. He propped himself up and adjusted his clothes.

Support the translator. Read this on: vmnovels.com

Knowing that Lu Li must have his own considerations, Song Rong nodded slightly. He only intended to cooperate with the other party no matter what. He looked at Lu Li without a sound, only to see a vague apology in those eyes.

Lu Li pulled him off the couch. Song Rong was startled.

Hearing the footsteps getting nearer, Su Shi decisively grabbed Song Rong and shoved the entire person under the couch.

“Don’t come out until necessary. The situation is urgent. Sorry for manhandling you.”

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Regent:_(┐「 °ロ°)_???

#Confessed to the one I love on the bed

#He promised me

#Now I am under his bed

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Let Me Shoulder this Blame!

Chapter 187
Chapter 186
Chapter 185
Chapter 184
Chapter 183
Chapter 182
Chapter 181
Chapter 180
Chapter 179

The Big Landlord

Chapter 163.1
Chapter 162.3
Chapter 162.2
Chapter 162.1
Chapter 161.3
Chapter 161.2
Chapter 161.1
Chapter 160.3
Chapter 160.2

Male Lead 2 and Male Lead 3 Happy Ending!

Chapter 128
Chapter 127
Chapter 126
Chapter 125
Chapter 124
Chapter 123
Chapter 122
Chapter 121
Chapter 120
Chapter 119

This Alpha’s Pheromones Are Exploding

Chapter 158
Chapter 157
Chapter 156
Chapter 155
Chapter 154
Chapter 153
Chapter 152
Chapter 151
Chapter 150

Didn’t Love You Enough

Chapter 132
Chapter 131
Chapter 130
Chapter 129
Chapter 128
Chapter 127
Chapter 126
Chapter 125

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Chapter 177 – Historically Memorable Villainy Arc 

“Those army provisions… how did you gather them…?” Song Rong asked.

Song Rong took a deep breath. He lifted a hand to touch Lu Li’s shoulder and tried hard to make his tone seem relaxed and light, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he couldn’t help making a choked and nasal sound.

His question hung in the air. There was no response.

Lu Li’s clear eyes were like glass. They looked at him quietly, without joy or anger. His gaze was calm, as if waiting for some predetermined judgment.

The emotions in his chest suddenly surged so much that he couldn’t control himself. Song Rong couldn’t hold back any longer. He pulled the other man’s thin body into his arms. He wanted to wrap his arms around Lu Li tightly, but he was afraid of hurting him. His chest heaved rapidly and his warm breath fanned across Lu Li’s wan cheek. His vision was already becoming blurry with tears.

What was Lu Li’s emotional state like back then? How desperate and aggrieved he must have felt when he was not allowed to have an audience with the emperor no matter how long he knelt, when he pleaded to the point of exhaustion, vomited blood, and fainted, and when he did his utmost to scrape together the life-saving rations for the army, but feared the amount would not be enough so he stuffed the delivery wagons full with whatever other foodstuff he could find.

Translations by Vanilla Muse. Read on vmnovels [dot] com

And in the end, he finally understood that being a loyal minister who dared to speak frankly before the emperor simply did not have the power to influence the muddle-headed emperor’s beliefs, and no power to change the decadence of the court.

He still remembered the first time he met Lu Li. The young zhuangyuan* was parading through the streets on horseback, full of aspirations and ethics.

[*T/N: 状元 zhuangyuan – top scorer in the palace examination / highest rank of the Imperial examination system]

During those three days when he knelt before the palace gates, Lu Li’s soul had actually already died.

What survived was just a wandering soul, a wandering soul that has given up on the ethics he was raised and educated on, given up on his upright and unyielding character, and given up on the very foundations of his person.

Thereupon, he submerged himself completely into the mud, and no longer cared about having a lasting good reputation.

The body in his arms suddenly trembled and went rigid. Song Rong’s chest clenched and he lowered his gaze.

Tears finally fell silently from those clear and cold eyes that seemed to remain forever unmoved.

“Qing Guang…”

Holding his breath and stroking the cold water on his cheek, Song Rong’s voice was hoarse and his tone was almost pleading: “Don’t hold it back, it’s okay, there is no one else here…”

“I’m not the one crying.”

Su Shi knew that Song Rong would catch on to any clue leaked at this point and follow it to figure out everything. Then the favorable situation that he had worked so hard for would be lost.

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Su Shi spoke in a hesitant voice. He clenched the other person’s clothes tightly and tried his best to restrain his overly strong emotions, but was still unable to do so.

He was not the one crying. It was this body that was crying.

His heart was palpitating hard. His chest felt stuffy. Every inch of his body was overwhelmed by intense pain, and a chill settled over him silently like a ghost.

The cold night was long and lonely.

The broken body was no longer able to carry the overly intense emotions. Lu Li pressed tightly against Song Rong’s neck, his body trembling silently, and finally hurriedly raised his hand to cover his lips.

The pale and slender fingers were suddenly stained with a glaring dark red color.

“It’s okay, just spit it out and it’ll be fine. It’s okay, it’s all over now…”

Lu Li’s body finally slumped down from exhaustion. Song Rong hugged him and caressed the still trembling back over and over again while clumsily repeating monotonous words of comfort.

The person in his arms gradually became quiet, so quiet that it frightened him. Carefully holding the person in his arms, Song Rong lowered his head and looked down. Only after confirming that Lu Li’s eyes still held the light of life did his heart feel at ease.

Su Shi closed his eyes and raised his hand to place it over his chest.

Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.

The pain that felt like a stabbing knife gradually subsided, and the last bit of obsession in this body seemed to have been completely dissipated with that mouthful of blood.

“It’s not over yet.”

His eyes reopened, and the cold light returned to those eyes as they met the regent’s anxious gaze.

It was not over yet. He had yet to complete the final step. Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, and this body had yet to return to the dust. He had yet to squeeze out every last bit of value of this life.

When he took over this body, he took over the responsibilities that came with it. He could not use this body to live as he wished. He could not be shaken by personal feelings. He could not fold just because he felt softhearted for a moment. He was not going to drag out this life beyond its original fate.

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Chapter 176 – Historically Memorable Villainy Arc

Song Rong felt like he had fallen into an ice cave. All the blood in his body seemed to have solidified, leaving only a bone-chilling coldness.

The other person continued to talk, but Song Rong no longer had the heart to listen. He had obtained the medicine, but he somehow lacked the strength to turn around.

It was like there was a big hole in his chest and the cold wind was pouring in mercilessly, freezing his heart to the point of pain. Yet at the same time, it was like there was a fire burning deep in his heart.

On that winter day five years ago, he knew better than anyone else what had happened in the army.

There was unrest at the border and it was the most stressful period of the war.

The army crawled on the ice and lay in the snow to fight desperately. They sent letter after letter back to the capital. The letters traveled across eight hundred miles, but it was like casting a stone into the vast ocean. They got no response. The army provisions that they depended on never arrived.

The army’s food reserves had been exhausted. If the army withdrew due to lack of food, then the twn border cities would surely fall into the hands of the enemy. But if they continue to fight to the death, then the land of white snow would eventually become the soldiers’ burial grounds.

In that world of snow and ice, he beheaded his own warhorse with his own hands and distributed the frozen meat piece by piece to his men. His eyes burned with unshed tears and his heart crackled with ice.

Then, the army provision suddenly arrived.

These were people who have been in the army for a long time. At a glance, they could tell that the army provisions this time were clearly different from before. The grains were uneven, some were big, and some were small. New rice was mixed with old rice. Because there were clearly not enough food grains, there was even cured meat wrapped in flatbread to make up the numbers.

These men were hardened on the battlefield. When they saw the food, they felt hope for the future and cast aside all their resentment and despair. The generals passed out the frozen and hard flatbread. The soldiers each took one and warmed it against their chests. Then they stuffed it hungrily down their gullets and washed it down with melted snow water.

The solders no longer felt bitter once they got some food in their bellies. The soldiers laughed and talked loudly, saying that it must not have been easy to get the army provisions this time and they wondered how many private granaries the guys from the Ministry of Revenue must have raided to get this food.

But Song Rong did not smile. As they unloaded wagon after wagon of army provisions, Song Rong only saw poverty. He saw the shortage of money and the shortage of food.

What kind of dire straits caused the people in the capital to have no choice but to put together whatever was edible and then send it all the way to the warfront over such a long distance?

At that time, he had already been away from the capital for a long time and he didn’t know what the situation was like back home. He thought that there was a famine in the country and that’s why the army provisions were delayed for so long this time. As a result, he completely lost all resentment towards the imperial brother who was far away in the capital, and instead he felt deep guilt in his heart.

From that moment on, the guilt made him keep his silence no matter how hard the imperial court put pressure on the army. When they sent him to battle, no matter how hard or difficult it was, he would not utter a single complaint.

It was precisely because of this guilt that when something happened in the imperial court, he did not even hesitate and rushed thousands of miles back to the capital to offer his assistance.

But he suddenly realized that he might be completely wrong.

The snowfall five years ago was even heavier than today. He heard that the entire capital was covered in snow, and many literati improvised and wrote heroic or exquisite poems.

No one knew, and no one needed to know, that thousands of miles away, the army was almost wiped out due to delayed provisions, and that a young official tried unsuccessfully to appeal to the emperor and nearly lost his legs from kneeling outside the palace gates for a long time.

Song Rong was sure that Song Zhilan would regret this one day, that the regret would come too late, and that he would go crazy with pain, but he did not expect that he would be the first to feel regret.

“Wangye… wangye?”

A worried voice pulled Song Rong put of his thoughts. He looked up to see the concerned gaze of the imperial guard. Song Rong came to his senses in a daze. His hand suddenly tightened around the bottle of medicine and then he strode back into the palace hall.

His steps became slower and slower, and his expression gradually calmed down. By the time he reached the door, the mistiness in his eyes had dissipated.

Song Rong centered himself, and then he opened the door to go in. He walked slowly to the couch, warmed his frozen hands, and then began to carefully apply the medicine on Lu Li’s wound.

The skin under his palm was slightly hot. He applied the cooling ointment carefully and rubbed it in meticulously inch-by-inch. Song Rong’s chest rose and fell more and more intensely, but the movements of his hands became gentler and gentler.

Finally, a hand reached out and took hold of his wrist.

There was almost no strength in that hand. It was only holding on to him weakly. But Song Rong’s movements abruptly halted. He raised his eyes to meet Lu Li’s gaze. Those clear eyes told him that Lu Li seemed to have perceived something.

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Chapter 175 – Historically Memorable Villainy Arc 

Seeing that Lu Li was in good spirits and had no intention of expressing displeasure with his offense the previous night, Song Rong finally felt relieved and leaned on the soft pillow with Lu Li’s body in his arms.

“I asked them to get some hot water. Unfortunately, there’s not much of it. You’re sick and should be well cared for…”

“It’s thanks to wangye that I’m not in the Heavenly Prison right now.” Su Shi said hoarsely. He draped the court attire over his shoulders. He wanted to prop himself up but all of a sudden he faintly felt that something was not right.

Song Rong thought that he could at least have Lu Li wipe his face, so he went to soak a cloth in hot water, but then he heard a muffled sound from behind him.

Translations by Vanilla Muse. Read on vmnovels [dot] com

He turned around in a hurry and his pupils abruptly shrunk. He dropped the cloth and hurried over.

Lu Li had fallen to his knees on the floor. He was holding on to the edge of the couch with one hand and struggling to stand up. Just when it seemed like he could support himself with his own strength, he slumped back down.

The man himself didn’t seem to know what was going on. There was a hint of confusion in his usually cold and indifferent eyes. He was still trying in vain, but his legs were not working at all.

Song Rong hurriedly carried Lu Li back to the couch. He was worried and panicked. He pressed against Lu Li’s legs with gentle pressure. “How is it? Do you feel any pain? Perhaps it’s from lying down for too long…”

“It’s not a big matter. There is still feeling,” Su Shi responded even though he had yet to figure out what was wrong with his body. With the support of the couch, he once again sat up.

Song Rong was not as indifferent as him. He frowned and apologized. Then he carefully rolled up the other man’s trousers to reveal his knees. They were red and swollen, and hot to the touch.

“Qing Guang… do you not feel pain…?”

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Fortunately, Lu Li was not seriously injured. Song Rong’s extremely tense mood eased a little and he breathed a sigh of relief. He warmed up his hands and carefully pressed them to Lu Li’s knees.

“How about this? Is it better?”

The analgesic that he took was still in effect so Su Shi really did not feel much pain. He nodded subconsciously to Song Rong’s inquiry, but felt a vague foreboding feeling in his heart.

“This is an old injury. I usually take good care of it so it doesn’t flare up. But due to the humidity, cold temperatures, and recent snowfall, it started to act up again.”

Although he was quite frightened by the situation just now, no matter what, old wounds were better than new wounds.

Song Rong warmed his knees for him. His original worries dissipated, but he couldn’t help raising his head to look up at Lu Li. “Qing Guang, what kind of injury did you receive? How come it left behind such a sequela? Why did you not care for the injury at the time when you received it?”

This situation was not good.

Su Shi’s heart suddenly sank as he finally recalled what caused this sequela.

He couldn’t answer, but he couldn’t maintain his silence either. If Song Rong discovers the connection between these two matters, he would definitely become suspicious.

Song Rong didn’t know what the other man was thinking, but he didn’t want to have him endure it silently. After a moment of hesitation, he stood up and once again carefully covered Lu Li with the brocade quilt.

“I’ll go out and take a look. I’ll be back soon.”

Su Shi was lost in thought and just nodded at Song Rong’s words.

Song Rong quickly walked out of the door and nodded at the concerned imperial bodyguard outside the door.

“Thank you for the hot water this morning. Do you have any medicine for treating wounds?”

Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.

The emperor did not allow Lu Li to receive special care, but the imperial guards secretly couldn’t bear it. So as long as it was something they could help with, they would secretly do what they could.

The leader of the imperial guards nodded at Song Rong’s inquiry. “Yes, but the effects of the medicine are just average. It’s something that we use on the down low.” He handed the medicine over and also asked, “The weather is bad today. Did the right minister’s leg injury flare up again?”

Song Rong’s eyes narrowed slightly, and his heart jumped inexplicably, but his expression became calmer. “You guys also know about it?”

“I know. It happened five years ago. Probably around this time of the year… Prime Minister Lu was just serving in the Zhongshu Province at the time. I heard that something happened in the army, but I don’t know exactly what happened. He actually knelt on the stone steps outside the palace for three whole days. No matter how many people tried to persuade him, he refused to listen. In the end, he was exhausted both physically and mentally. He vomited blood and passed out, and was sent back to his home.”

Probably remembering the situation at that time, the imperial guard shook his head and sighed, “After that, Prime Minister Lu’s behavior was never the same as before…”

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Chapter 174 – Historically Memorable Villainy Arc (52.1)

The sky brightened as the sun rose from the horizon. It had snowed throughout the night and the ground outside was blanketed in white.

The light that came in through the window was a glaring white that hurt to look at. Su Shi opened his eyes only to close them right away when the bright light hit his pupils. Even then it still took a good long moment for the whiteness behind his lids to dissipate.

Sensing his movements, Song Rong subconsciously tightened his arms and lowered his eyes with concern.

He saw Lu Li with his eyes closed against the bright light. A faint furrow of discomfort marred the space between his brows as he nuzzled closer to Song Rong’s chest.

Song Rong knew that this was just Lu Li’s instinctive reaction to waking up to the bright light and was confused, but his heart couldn’t help going soft at the action.

He took off his heavy court clothes, hugged Lu Li closer to him, and propped himself up to block the glare coming in front the window.

“Are you feeling better?”

After the fever subsided, his body felt cold. Su Shi instinctively clutched the court clothes and wrapped them tightly around himself. He let out a soft noise of agreement.

It was rare to see Lu Li acting so soft and unguarded. A soft smile tugged at the corners of Song Rong’s lips. He tucked the blanket around Lu Li tighter and said in a warm voice, “The food has been delivered. You haven’t eaten for a day, so try to eat a little, okay?”

Su Shi had heard the conversation outside the door back then, so he was curious about what kind of food was delivered. He wanted to sit up, but Song Rong gently pushed him back.

“Your fever has only just passed and it has snowed outside. It’s the cold season right now. You must not catch a cold again.”

Song Rong’s tone was soft and earnest. Su Shi had no choice but to lie back down again. Su Shi opened his mouth to speak, but choked on the cold air and couldn’t help coughing twice.

Translations by Vanilla Muse. Read on vmnovels [dot] com

Song Rong was taking out a porridge bowl from the food box. When he heard Lu Li coughing, he hurried back to his side and carefully lifted him up and helped him leaned against his chest.

The body that has been practicing martial arts for many years was strong and powerful. Even in the cold morning air, his chest was still warm.

Su Shi also planned to live until the young emperor’s enthronement ceremony, so naturally he wouldn’t make things more difficult for his body. He stopped resisting and relaxed into Song Rong’s broad chest and strong arms. He reached for the spoon in Song Rong’s hand.

After resting for a day, the injury on his wrist was finally no longer so red, swollen, and glaring, and the strength in his hand had somewhat recovered. At the very least, it was no longer a problem for him to hold a spoon.

The porridge in the bowl was slow cooked and mixed with lean meat. It seemed very exquisite. Clearly, it was not food meant for a prisoner that should be kept in the Heavenly Prison*.

[*T/N: Heavenly Prison 天牢 – refers to the prison in the capital and directly under the control of the imperial court. It is different from the Earthly Prison 地牢, which is below ground. The Heavenly Prison is above ground and it is a place where prisoners with severe crimes are held.]

Su Shi wondered what Song Rong had done with the breakfast meant for the Heavenly Prison. Su Shi stirred the spoon in the bowl twice. He saw the silent concern in Song Rong’s eyes and decided not to ask. He lowered his head and slowly ate the lukewarm porridge.

Seeing that Lu Li was willing to eat, Song Rong finally breathed a sigh of relief. With one hand, he held the bowl steady for Lu Li, and with the other hand, he adjusted the blanket around Lu Li to prevent him from getting cold again.

Su Shi’s stomach had been empty for a day, so as soon as the porridge entered his stomach, the first thing it brought him was a sharp burst of pain.

Su Shi couldn’t help but frown. Hidden beneath the blanket, he brought a hand to his stomach. He was immediately met with Song Rong’s worried look, which seemed to be overly anxious.

Su Shi reluctantly removed his hand from his stomach, and spoke in a warm voice. “I’m fine, it’s just that I haven’t eaten anything for a long time.”

After the discomfort subsided, he lowered his head and ate a few more mouthfuls of porridge. Then he put down the spoon.

He didn’t eat much at all. Song Rong frowned slightly and said in a tentative and warm voice: “Is it not to your liking? Is there anything you want to eat?”

“Not really, I just don’t feel hungry.”

Su Shi shook his head, and a thought suddenly came to his mind: “Does wangye know how to make noodles?”

His voice was very soft.

Song Rong was slightly startled and asked subconsciously. “What?”

Su Shi had already given up the unrealistic idea and shook his head: “It’s nothing.”

The first time he could only grill ready-made meat. It was only the second time that he learned how to cook instant noodles. There were no such easy-to-make instant foods in this world, so he shouldn’t ask for difficult things from others.

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Chapter 173 – Historically Memorable Villainy Arc 

Song Rong stood there indifferent a long while. Then he looked at the imperial guard standing guard at the entrance. He asked, “Can you stop me with your skills?”

“Wangye, you musn’t! There are still people in Prime Minister Lu’s family. Their lives are at the mercy of the emperor.”

The imperial guard suddenly got down on one knee. He took a deep breath and rushed the words out, “The emperor said: The crime of implication has not yet been decided for the Lu family, but if wangye breaks out of here without permission, then the one who will be executed will not just be Prime Minister Lu himself. All the people of the Lu family will also be executed…”

Song Rong’s vision suddenly went dark. He could almost taste blood in the back of his throat. He took a step back to steady himself. In his eyes, one could see sorrow and cold sarcasm.

It was indeed the way of the emperor [to things like this].

Song Zhilan did not know that he was using what Lu Li had painstakingly taught him day after day to drive Lu Li to a dead end step by step.

Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.

As the sun faded, the light in Song Rong’s eyes also gradually dimmed. After a long while, he flicked his sleeves behind him and walked back into the palace hall with large strides.

Behind him, the imperial guard continued to kneel, casting a silent silhouette in the setting sun.

It was a dead end.

Song Rong walked over to the couch where Lu Li lied. He was barely able to hold himself together. He staggered and knelt beside the couch. He looked at Lu Li’s sleeping face. Even in sleep, the man’s handsome face was scrunched in pain. It felt like a knife was being stabbed and twisted in his heart. The world seemed to be pressing down on him and his vision blurred.

Song Zhilan would regret this sooner or later. Song Rong has never been so sure about something as he was now.

But no once could say for sure when that regret would come, sooner or later? Would Song Zhilan realize everything and be able to fix the situation in time, or would it be too late by then?

If he was too late… too late…

Intense fear spread through him like a silent but deadly miasma. Song Rong held Lu Li’s pale and cold hand. The back of his throat burned and his entire body trembled uncontrollably.

Support the translator. Read this on: vmnovels.com

Lu Li’s fingers twitched in Song Rong’s hold. The gentle force dragged Song Rong’s consciousness back to the present. Song Rong looked up hurriedly to see Lu Li slowly opening his eyes.

“Wangye cannot withstand even this little bit of hardship?”

The fog of sleep dissipated from Lu Li’s eyes as he woke. His gaze was no longer cold and indifferent. Instead, there was a faint smile in his gaze, as if everything was under his control once again.

“I sat in my manor’s main hall for two days straight without eating anything. Even then I did not cry like you are now…”

Song Rong chuckled numbly. His chest ached. He tried his best to raise the corners of his lips and give Lu Li a small smile. “I’ve embarrassed myself in front of you.”

Song Rong’s mood seemed to have calmed down a little and he didn’t look like he was about to go find the emperor and force the emperor to release Lu Li.

Seeing this, Su Shi finally felt relieved. He gave Song Rong’s hand a squeeze and closed his eyes again.

As the night grew deeper, the temperature got colder. Su Shi’s body was weak and cold still lingered in his bones, so he could not help curling up his body a little tighter.

Song Rong’s heart wavered. He suddenly apologized to Su Shi. Then he undressed and climbed onto the couch. He pulled Su Shi into his arms and wrapped him up tightly in his heavy court attire.

The warmth of his body passed through his chest and into Su Shi, causing Su Shi to tremble instinctively. He couldn’t help opening his eyes to confirm the other person’s true identity, but a hand covered his eyes. “Qing Guang, don’t open your eyes…”

Their bodies were pressed together and separated by only a thin layer of cloth. This time, they were wrapped up in a true embrace. The faint scent of ink wafted up his nose, and arms wrapped securely around his back. Su Shi gradually relaxed under the comforting warmth of Song Rong’s body.

Translations by Vanilla Muse. Read on vmnovels [dot] com

Song Rong thought that Lu Li might be offended by his presumptuous action. Song Rong didn’t want to chance seeing a look of indifference and coldness in Lu Li’s eyes. As long as he did not see it, he could delude himself into believing that they were sharing a bed together willingly.

Lu Li’s shadow had been living in his heart for thirteen years.

“It going to be cold at night, so it’s better this way. In- in the army, when the winter nights get really cold, we would do this too…”

Song Rong falteringly said the excuse that he had thought up. His heart was galloping like crazy. He could only comfort himself silently. Lu Li has never been to war in person, so he might believe such an excuse…

Suddenly, Song Rong heard a very light laughter. He thought he was hallucinating for a second. He held his breath and carefully lowered his gaze.

The man in his arms had already relaxed his body. His eyes were closed as he leaned comfortably against Song Rong’s chest. His breathing was long and steady. He had fallen asleep at some point.

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Su Shi: Let go of the pot and I will sleep with you! （Ω^Ω）

#The first pot

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Chapter 172 – Historically Memorable Villainy Arc

“You don’t want to rebel. You never even entertained the thought. From the beginning, you never wanted to sit on the throne…”

Song Rong’s voice was unrecognizably hoarse, and he spoke with difficultly. He looked into Lu Li’s icy eyes and knelt before him on one knee.

“Prime Minister, you are educating the emperor, right?”

A trace of coldness flashed in those eyes. In the next second, Lu Li had one hand clasped around Song Rong’s throat. If he exerted force, he could take his life.

Song Rong remained motionless, his eyes fixed on the other man.

“You didn’t allow the emperor to meet the late emperor, because the late emperor had no intention of cultivating the crown prince. All the gifts, those books, and those encouragements… you had people send them to the crown prince in the name of the late emperor, so that he would think that he had a gentle and kind father…”

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Song Rong’s chest heaved up and down violently. When he saw the icicles in Lu Li’s eyes, it did not rouse a desire for confrontation, instead it only left him with a deep sense of regret.

Song Rong couldn’t resist taking a hold of Lu Li’s hand. The other man’s hand was frail and his grip was weak. His gesture was obviously meant to be threatening, but due to his injuries, he couldn’t even exert any strength at all.

Those hands couldn’t even grip a pair of chopsticks. Even though this seemingly thin body still contained powerful strength, it could no longer pose the slightest threat to him.

Song Rong raised his hand to caress Lu Li’s forehead, which was covered with a thin layer of sweat. Song Rong’s voice became hoarse and it trembled slightly as if he was afraid to broach the next topic.

“Qing Guang, you… why are you doing this?”

Lu Li’s hand trembled and finally gave up all pretense of strength. His long eyelashes lowered and his powerless hand fell into the palm of Song Rong’s hand.

Lu Li’s sharp aura – which was like a dangerous, unsheathed blade – dissipated, and Song Rong realized that the other man was trembling uncontrollably. The explosive force of action just now had obviously exceeded the limit of his body, and now the backlash was taking its toll with interest.

Song Rong could withstand the prime minister’s oppressive aura; he could withstand Lu Li’s murderous looks, but he was unable to remain staunch in the face of Lu Li’s weakness, especially when the man was so weak that he was nearly trembling with fear, yet still desperately trying to put on an obstinate front.

Lu Li’s weakness stripped the last bit of Song Rong’s perseverance like broken armor.

Lu Li’s frail body toppled forward and Song Rong hastily reached out to catch him in his arms. He anxiously lowered his voice and said, “Relax, Qing Guang, relax. I won’t ask anymore, so don’t do this, don’t force yourself…”

Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.

“Wangye, a traitor is also a human being with a heart, and there will be times when he is inattentive and soft-hearted.”

Lu Li’s feverish forehead pressed against the side of Song Rong’s neck. His hoarse voice sounded lightly right beside Song Rong’s ear. His tone of voice carried a bit of cold self-mockery.

“It was just a moment of carelessness on my part. I thought I could control the crown prince. I didn’t think that I would end up nurturing a tiger instead… I am merely reaping what I have sown. I lost because of that little kindness I had shown him at the beginning. For that, I do not grieve my lost. Wangye, since you know then just keep it to yourself. There is no need to let the emperor know. No matter how dire my straits are, I am not at the stage where I require the emperor’s pity.”

Song Rong couldn’t bear to keep pressing Lu Li for answers. He just nodded lightly and held the collapsed body in his arms. He brushed his warm palms across Lu Li’s trembling limbs, carefully calming him down.

“I understand. Qing Guang, sleep for a bit. I will be here guarding you…”

“Wangye, you’re speaking as if you can go anywhere else.”

Perhaps it was due to the warmth from his touch, the person in his arms did not resist, but he kept mumbling as if unable to admit defeat.

Song Rong was incapable of speech. He couldn’t help the bitter twist of his lips as he looked down helplessly at the man in his arms. Lu Li’s extremely tired eyes slowly closed. His black lashes lowered, concealing the clear and cold light in his eyes.

Lu Li’s fever was still high, but his terrible trembling had finally calmed down. Song Rong breathed a sigh of relief and carefully moved the unconscious man to the couch. Then he covered him with the blanket.

The side hall was still a gloomy and cold place after all. With Lu Li’s persistent fever, his body curled up instinctively due to the cold not long after he fell asleep.

Song Rong frowned. He got up and walked out the entrance. But before he could open his mouth, the captain of the imperial guards was already approaching him with an awkward look on his face.

Translations by Vanilla Muse. Read on vmnovels [dot] com

“Wangye, the emperor has already decreed that the expenses for the side hall will only be allocated according to the budget for the heavenly prison. Except for the regent’s three meals a day, which will remained unchanged, we cannot accommodated anything else…”

“He said this himself?”

He never imagined that Song Zhilan could go to such lengths. Thinking of the sleeping person inside, Song Rong suppressed the anger in his chest, and his voice became lower and lower, “According to those words, is he saying that he doesn’t plan to do anything even though the prime minister is heavily injured and still down with a high fever?”

The captain of the imperial guards also felt bad about the situation. The struggle was clear on his face, but he could only lower his head in silence.

When Song Rong recalled the inside story that he had just gleaned from the prime minister, fierce anger suddenly boiled up from the bottom of his heart. The flames of his anger roared through his body, burned all his internal organs, and finally extinguished into cold embers.

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Chapter 171 – Historically Memorable Villainy Arc 

Su Shi closed his eyes tiredly. He wanted to lie down again, but then he realized that Song Rong had yet to loosen his hold on him. Su Shi frowned slightly and looked over at the other man with a bit of uncertainty on his face.

Song Rong froze. Then he quickly let go of Su Shi and stepped back.

“My apologies, Prime Minister…”

“I’m not the prime minister anymore. Wangye does not need to address me as such.” Su Shi responded calmly. He looked at the other party’s increasingly helpless gaze. After a long silence, Su Shi couldn’t help being softhearted and he said slowly: “Qing Guang.”

“What?”

Song Rong looked up in a daze, obviously not knowing how to react.

Feeling helpless, Su Shi took Song Rong by the hand and used his finger to write the two characters on Song Rong’s palm. “Qing Guang. When I reached the age of majority, this is the courtesy name that my father gave me. It’s just that no one has called me by that name in a long time.”

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This was obviously the hand of a scholar. The fingertips only had a thin layer of calluses from holding a brush all the time. The cool fingertip passed across the broad and warm palm. The regent’s breath stuttered and he subconsciously repeated after the prime minister, “Qing Guang…”

Lu Li’s eyes fell on him, as if this particular name evoked some very distant memories. He nodded slightly for a moment, closed his eyes as if he was extremely tired, and lay down without another word.

Lu Li had stood in the courtroom for a long time and was suffering from a high fever, so it was inevitable that he would be weak and tired now. Song Rong carefully covered him with a brocade quilt and straightened out the corners of the quilt. He spoke softly, “Do you normally like reading?”

Su Shi wasn’t particularly sleepy, but he felt tired and indolent, so he just let the other man do what he wanted and answered in a low voice.

“I just flip through a few things during my free time.”

The continuous high fever has caused his throat to go a little dry and he couldn’t help coughing twice. Song Rong had already brought him some water. He wrapped his arm around Su Shi’s shoulders and neck in a very natural manner and pressed the edge of the cup against his lip.

Lu Li seemed unmoved by his actions. Song Rong maintained a calm expression but his heart was already pounding violently.

This morning, he went over to look and saw that Lu Li had not touched last night’s meal at all. Then he remembered that the other person’s wrists must be hurting so badly that he couldn’t even hold the chopsticks properly, and he couldn’t help feeling annoyed at his own carelessness.

In his mind, Song Rong had practiced taking care of Lu Li hundreds of times. He only hoped that the other man would not feel humiliated by the act, so that he could drink some water and eat some food to aid in his recovery.

After a moment of stalemate, Lu Li finally thanked him softly, lowered his head slightly, and wrapped a hand around the cup to take two sips of water.

Song Rong’s eyes brightly slightly. He helped Lu Li lean back down and slowly removed his arm. Lu Li’s body still seemed to burn from the stubborn high fever.

Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.

Song Rong felt a little reluctant to do what he had in mind, but he still forced himself to be ruthless. He squatted beside the couch and looked into those clear, glass-like eyes.

“Does Qing Guang also read An Examination of a Good Monarch in his free time?”

A sharp sense of alertness struck Su Shi’s heart. His soft, feverish gaze became cold in an instant and pierced through Song Rong like lightning.

Song Rong remained motionless. He kept looking steadily at Su Shi with his dark eyes. His current demeanor was completely different from his awkward and clumsy actions prior.

“The regent is being too nosey.”

The prime minister’s voice was cold when he spoke, and indifference once again masked any emotions in his eyes. It was as if all of Song Rong’s previous efforts had been ruined in a single instant, but he didn’t dare to retreat.

Song Rong actually didn’t like to read. Except for The Art of War, he didn’t know many other titles. But this book – An Examination of a Good Monarch – he knew better than most others what it meant.

An Examination of a Good Monarch was a book for the emperor. The founding emperor of the Xuan Dynasty wrote it. It detailed the policy of governing the country and the way of the emperor. Except for the crown prince, the other princes couldn’t even look at the book.

Translations by Vanilla Muse. Read on vmnovels [dot] com

That day, when Song Rong was in the prime minister’s manor, he saw An Examination of a Good Monarch, and it looked like Lu Li had read it often and made detailed notes. Song Rong hadn’t thought much about it at the time. After all, the imperial edict had stated that Lu Li had traitorous intentions, and for a man who wanted to rebel it was quite normal for him to have such a book in his collection.

However, it was not until today when he personally attended the court meeting and heard the accusations made by the ministers against Lu Li that he suddenly realized a fact that could not be ignored but no one mentioned it.

Lu Li was able to force the emperor to abdicate by sword point. He was able to kill the late emperor’s imperial consort right before his eyes. And he was able to easily eliminate the left prime minister’s entire clan.

If he wanted to rebel, he should have rebelled long ago.

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Chapter 170 – Historically Memorable Villainy Arc

Song Rong looked at Song Zhilan with a startled gaze as if he was looking at some sort of monster. Seeing that kind of expression on Song Rong’s face, Song Zhilan felt an absurdly bitter sense of self-deprecation deep in his heart. He chuckled, turned, and left. His tone became colder and colder.

“Since Imperial Uncle wants to stay with the prime minister so much, then you should just stay here forever…”

Song Rong was stunned. He took a step forward and suddenly there was the clanging sound of weapons unsheathing. The imperial guards had stepped forward to block his path.

He and Lu Li were actually left in this secluded and gloomy side hall.

“Your Majesty…”

Song Rong vaguely felt that the other party must have misunderstood something extremely important. He pushed aside the weapons and advanced towards Song Zhilan quickly, but the imperial guard captain blocked him again. “His Majesty’s orders cannot be disobeyed. Regent, I beg your understanding.”

Translations by Vanilla Muse. Read on vmnovels [dot] com

“Song Zhilan!”

Song Rong was finally unable to suppress his anger. He grabbed the sharp sword in front of him. Lightning seemed to be sparking from his eyes. The young emperor heard his name being called and abruptly came to a stop.

“If you do this to him now, are you not afraid of regretting this in the future?”

With a sudden tremor, Song Zhilan slowly straightened his body. His back was straight like a sharp sword that hurt both others and himself.

“It’s all said and done already. There’s nothing to regret anymore…”

As if desperately wanting to escape from something, the young emperor flicked his sleeves and hurried away without looking back.

The imperial guards faithfully carried out the emperor’s order, and a fortified garrison surrounded the side hall in a blink of an eye.

Song Zhilan stood at the entrance of the side hall for a long while. The violent heaving of his chest gradually calmed down, but the light in his eyes had completely dimmed little by little. He turned around dejectedly. His eyes suddenly narrowed slightly.

Lu Li had woken up at some point. He was leaning against the doorframe and looking over in their direction. Who knew how much of this farce he had witnessed.

Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.

Song Rong had knocked Lu Li unconsciousness when the prime minster was not on guard. Seeing Lu Li standing there now, Song Rong panicked and lost the fierce aura he had when facing the young emperor. Song Rong walked over to Lu Li apprehensively. He braced himself to face Lu Li’s interrogation and condemnation. He lifted his head to look at those clear eyes, but his heard skipped a beat.

In those eyes, he unexpectedly saw a flicker of a shallow smile.

Although it was only fleeting, it still seemed to cast a ray of bright light into the dim side hall. The figure in front of him overlapped with the memory of the boy who paraded through the streets on a horse thirteen years ago.

“Prime Minister-”

He quickly averted his eyes. He completely forgot about the anger and regret he was feeling just now, and he also forgot about the current preposterous situation. The only thing remaining in his heart and eyes was the faint smiling intent in Lu Li’s eyes and the brightness it brought him.

The awe-inspiring and impressive regent suddenly felt awkward all over, not knowing what to do with his hands and feet, as if he had reverted back into a clumsy and immature youngster. He pursed his lips slightly and said in a low voice: “What is the prime minister smiling at…”

“I didn’t think that the majestic regent would actually be so dogmatic and cause a scene big enough to make His Majesty put him under house arrest.”

Lu Li spoke slowly. His voice was still hoarse and weak from his high fever, but the meaning in his words was clearly cheerful.

Song Rong was struck dumb for a long while. Then he shook his head and chuckled lightly. He walked over to Lu Li with quick steps and tentatively reached out to him, “I didn’t think that the prime minister would rejoice in other people’s misfortune…”

“Not only do I rejoice in other people’s misfortune, I also hold grudges. Wangye knocked me out. I have noted this down in my ledger.”

Seeing that Song Rong was put under house arrest instead of destroying his pot, Su Shi felt physically and mentally at ease, so he no longer refused Song Rong’s help and allowed the other man to help him back to the couch*.

[*T/N: 榻 couch – in ancient China this is a piece of furniture that is used for seating and entertaining guests during the daytime. A small table can be placed atop it to hold tea and snacks. At night, it can be used as a bed.]

The imperial physicians have all dispersed, and there was no one else in the room. Song Rong’s mind was still filled with the slight smile he saw in Lu Li’s clear eyes, and his heart was soaked with warmth. He wasn’t really listening anymore. He just absent-mindedly nodded his head in agreement, “Okay, mark it down in your ledger and claim the debt from me later.”

A bit of surprise flashed in those clear eyes, and then the smiling intent in them deepen even more. His brows and eyes seemed to soften too.

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Song Rong stared fixedly at Lu Li. His breathing was slightly stagnant. His eyes lingered on the prime minister’s handsome face. He couldn’t bear to look away for a single moment.

Upon sitting back on the couch, exhaustion enveloped Su Shi’s entire body again.

Su Shi suppressed the glimmering smile in his eyes and leaned against the side of the couch. His chest rose and fell slightly. He couldn’t help letting out two small coughs.

Despite Song Rong’s assistance, just the short walk back to the couch was already a huge burden on his weakened body. Analgesics could relieve the body of pain, but it couldn’t get rid of the debilitating weakness that accompanied his injuries.

Su Shi closed his eyes tiredly. He wanted to lie down again, but then he realized that Song Rong had yet to loosen his hold on him. Su Shi frowned slightly and looked over at the other man with a bit of uncertainty on his face.

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Chapter 169 – Historically Memorable Villainy Arc (51.1)

The imperial guards stood there and watched helplessly as the regent raised his hand and knocked the prime minister unconscious. Then in the next second the regent turned around and claimed that the prime minister was seriously ill and needed treatment. The imperial guards looked at each other at a lost, but they did not dare to tarry, so they hurriedly responded. They sent someone to go retrieve an imperial physician and arranged for Lu Li to rest in a room in the secluded side hall.

The imperial physician came in a hurry. He carefully took Lu Li’s pulse, and his expression became even grimmer.

Even if Song Rong had not knocked Lu Li out in the courtroom, based on Lu Li’s constitution, he would not have been able to hold out for long either.

The tragic injuries all over his body were bandaged, but he hadn’t had any time to heal at all. Due to the black robes, it was not visible, but the blood from his wounds had already soaked through the clothes. In addition, the chill had seeped into his body making him cold all over.

Translations are by vmnovels [dot] com, if you’re reading this anywhere else, then it was stolen.

Lu Li was like an arrow at the end of its flight, ready to collapse to the ground at any moment. His body was engulfed in strong ailment.

Even unconscious, Lu Li was still silently enduring all of this discomfort.

His scorching fever could be felt through the clothes, and there was a rough rumbling sound rattling through his chest, but his bloodless lips were held even tighter, as if he was still instinctively holding himself back from releasing the slightest weak moan.

Ice-cold handkerchiefs were applied to his forehead and freshly brewed medicine was carefully poured down his throat. The imperial physician who was in charge of feeding Lu Li the medicine was a little impatient. His hand shook and caused Lu Li to choke on the bitter liquid. Lu Li coughed and the movement tugged at the injuries on his body. He was finally unable to suppress the pain from showing on his handsome face.

Holding the scalding hot body in his arms, Song Rong couldn’t breathe due ot the pain in his heart. He could only carefully avoid the wounds on Lu Li’s body and gently pat his back for him.

Suddenly there was the sound of hurried footsteps coming from outside.

Song Rong didn’t turn to look. He just kept guarding the person in his arms with care. He stared like a hawk as the imperial physician finished feeding Lu Li the medicine. Then he gently wiped away the drops of medicine that had leaked out from the corners of his mouth.

The visitor hesitated at the door for a long time and finally stepped inside. His voice was somewhat hoarse, “Is he okay?”

“Your Majesty, he almost lost all of his blood last night.”

Song Rong spoke with a calm tone. He helped Lu Li lean back against a soft cushion. Then he picked up the brocade quilt on the side and covered up Lu Li’s body. Lu Li was burning with fever, but his body was shivering violently.

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The imperial physicians knelt down in fear. Song Zhilan was silent for a while. Eventually he walked over and his eyes fell on Lu Li’s still unconscious face.

The man’s refined brows and eyes no longer carried the indifference and arrogance of being thousands of miles away. Perhaps because of the high fever and current weakness, there was even vague warmth and peace on that man’s face that Song Zhilan had not been seen for a long time. This image overlapped with the vague shadowy memory buried deep inside his mind.

Song Zhilan took a step forward in a daze. He wanted to touch the man’s hand that was powerlessly lying on the bed, but he quickly retracted his hand as if he was suddenly shocked awake.

The illusion was instantly shattered, and everything returned to reality.

Song Zhilan took a few steps back. Complicated emotions swirled in his eyes. He abruptly turned around and strode out the door.

“Your Majesty!”

Song Rong quickly chased after him. Upon seeing the bright yellow figure standing silently in front of him, an inexplicable chill suddenly spread from the bottom of his heart.

“Imperial Uncle, what did you want us* to see?”

[*T/N: Song Zhilan uses the imperial we 朕 as his pronoun]

The young emperor’s voice was cold. He stayed standing with his back turned towards Song Rong. His tone suddenly became fierce, so much so that it felt like a piercing arrow to the heart. “You wanted us to see how injured he was from saving us? Or did you want us to see how he carried our imperial decree close to his person at all times? You want to tell us that he is doing all of this for us, that he is intentionally serving as a whetstone to sharpen and cultivate us? Did we ever tell him we wanted to be cultivated like this?!”

Song Rong’s expression changed slightly. His footsteps slowed down, and gradually stopped in place.

“Imperial Uncle has been campaigning at the borders all year round, so he knows too little.”

Song Zhilan suddenly turned around and looked at Song Rong. His tone calmed down again, but his eyes showed a coldness that was almost mocking.

Translations by Vanilla Muse. Read on vmnovels [dot] com

“He didn’t even let us see our imperial father once. All the gifts that Imperial Father bestowed upon us, all the rare and ancient books that Imperial Father selected for me… We could only receive them through the hands of eunuchs… What power balance, what plotting behind the scenes, he’s just an arrogant, conceited, and crafty criminal. He simply lost his head from getting too much power. That’s all.”

“The late emperor, he-”

An inexplicable premonition arose in Song Rong’s mind. His heart skipped a beat, and he was about to speak, but Song Zhilan interrupted him in a mild voice.

“Imperial Uncle wants to protect him. Fine. We can temporarily hold off on throwing him in prison. But his death sentence is unavoidable… Imperial Uncle has also heard all of his crimes. Putting personal affairs aside, many people have already accused Lu Li of inexcusable crimes. He cannot escape punishment. He has already been judged and charged in court. A ruler does not go back on his word. We have only just ascended to the throne. We do not dare to go back our word. Otherwise, we would come across as a muddleheaded monarch.”

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