Chapter 4: Shou Ta Yi Bing "A Tale of Love and Loyalty"
FlamingoBees
Translating Chinese Historical Dramas for your enjoyment... and mine! :)
Shou Ta Yi Bing "A Tale of Love and Loyalty"
Chapter 4:
To Defy Authority
Outside the Yangju Hall, the ground was littered with corpses.
Meng Chuang and his group of imperial guards were panting heavily in the blizzard, their clothes soaked with both blood and sweat. Had the Southern River army not arrived in time, they would have been crushed into meat paste by the troops of Prince Yu and other royal relatives.
Seeing someone approaching, Meng Chuang wiped the sweat off his face and immediately stood up, intending to call out to Prince Nan Chuan. But upon getting a clear look at the person's appearance, he hesitated.
He had heard that Prince Nan Chuan had controlled the Southern River army for many years, with a reputation for being ruthless and intimidating the southern region to the extent that people only knew of Prince Nan Chuan and not the Emperor. Such a figure, also a brother to the Emperor and he was supposed to be close to fifty years old, he should not look like a young man barely past twenty-five.
Moreover, this person was extremely tall, with a robust and upright physique. His long legs and large strides quickly brought him closer. Seeing Meng Chuang, who wore the token of an imperial guard commander, looking so stunned, the man smiled.
Up close, Meng Chuang was struck by the man's appearance. His skin was pale, his nose high and straight, and his almond-shaped eyes had a hint of malevolence, with his thin, red lips always curved into a smile. Meng Chuang thought to himself, "A strikingly beautiful figure."
But suddenly, the man's gaze grew stern, and his eyes became unfathomably deep. Meng Chuang felt a jolt of fear and stammered, "G-greetings, Prince Nan Chuan."
To his surprise, the man tilted his head and smiled at him, even patting his shoulder. "Good swordplay."
However, this casual pat felt like a heavy stone crashing down on Meng Chuang's shoulder, causing instant pain and making his hand tremble.
This person... Meng Chuang glanced at the man's receding figure, quietly retracting his earlier thoughts.
He was indeed Prince Nan Chuan, and a figure of immense significance.
Inside the hall, the sound of coughing from Xiao Jing could be heard. The three men kneeling on the ground were tightly bound with ropes as thick as a thumb, their hands bent grotesquely behind their backs, causing them to wail in pain.
"Oh, what a lively scene," came a voice before the figure even appeared. The door to the Yangju Hall was pushed open from the outside, revealing a pair of black python-patterned combat boots.
"You—you're Prince Nan Chuan?" Prince Yu, kneeling on the ground, stared at him intently, realizing that it was this man who had thwarted all his plans at the critical moment.
The newcomer didn’t even glance at Prince Yu and instead casually greeted Xiao Jing, “I’m Xiao Yuan of the Southern River, here to rescue you.”
The blood from his knife had dripped all the way in, giving off a strong stench of blood. This was an extreme act of disrespect. Xiao Jing remained calm and said, “Thank you, Prince Nan Chuan.”
Xiao Yuan fixed his gaze on the man lying on the sickbed. Despite his severe illness, Xiao Jing's pale face couldn't hide his handsome features. Even with the threat at his doorstep, he remained composed, showing no sign of fear or submission, even toward a great benefactor.
Is this the demeanor of an emperor?
Hmph.
Xiao Yuan sneered disdainfully, though his anger was rising. He glanced at the three men kneeling on the ground and said coldly, “Prince Yu, Prince Yun, and a so-called general. Forcing a palace coup and rebellion, should I take it upon myself to execute them on behalf of my cousin?”
The three men immediately cried and begged for mercy, knowing that Xiao Jing was a wise and benevolent ruler who would not ruthlessly kill his own relatives.
Before Xiao Jing could respond, Xiao Yuan raised his hand, and a few burly soldiers came in. With a swing of their big knives, they were ready to carry out the execution.
“Tsk.” Xiao Yuan pointed the knife’s tip at them, “How uncouth. It’s unbecoming to kill people in front of the Emperor. Take them outside.”
“Yes!”
The moment they stepped out the door, the three men were instantly drenched in blood.
The stench of blood was overwhelming, and Xiao Jing started coughing uncontrollably. Each cough seemed to mock Xiao Yuan.
All for such a sickly man...
Xiao Yuan suddenly stepped onto the dragon couch and pressed the knife against Xiao Jing’s neck, instantly staining his white undergarment with blood.
The two men were extremely close, locked in a standoff.
Xiao Jing remained unperturbed, even calm. Xiao Yuan pressed the blade inch by inch into the flesh, savoring the fresh smell of blood.
“Since my cousin’s life is drawing to a close, have you written a will?” Xiao Yuan pretended to ponder, “Is it to be passed on to that little prince who lost his mother at birth? Hmph, can a mere baby sit steadily on the dragon throne?”
As a man, Xiao Jing felt a strong hostility from Xiao Yuan. This hostility was different from the ambition of those who coveted the throne; it was a personal enmity towards him, towards Xiao Jing himself.
With the knife pressing deeper into his neck, he finally frowned but still spoke calmly, “Thank you.”
“Hmph.” Xiao Yuan withdrew the knife, “So you’re certain I don’t care for the throne?”
Xiao Jing picked up a handkerchief from a small table beside the couch and wiped the blood from his neck.
“If you want the throne, it would be more legitimate to wait until they’ve killed me and the prince, then come to restore order. If you don’t want the throne, Xiao Yuan, what is it that you desire?”
Xiao Yuan stared at him for a while and suddenly found Xiao Jing quite intriguing. But unfortunately, he didn’t like intriguing people.
“Just bored, came out to kill a few people to practice my skills. But I suppose it counts as meritorious service.” Xiao Yuan casually threw the knife aside, soiling Xiao Jing’s bedding. “I have plenty of gold and silver. Don’t bother rewarding me with those.”
Xiao Jing said nothing, waiting for the next part.
Xiao Yuan smiled, “How about you give your empress to me for a while?”
© translations belonging to flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.
•••
https://ko-fi.com/flamingobeestranslations
https://twitter.com/FlamingoBee2009
Thank You For Reading <3
Comments
Post a Comment
What did you think of this chapter?