“Jiang Wang,” Qi Tianzi’s voice was like it descended from the nine heavens. “Are you truly not afraid of death?”

“This official fears death, fears it to the point of wanting to live!” Jiang Wang said. “This official still has many things left undone. This official still has many attachments in this world. This official still owes many… many!”

“If I were to return to Great Qi just like this now, this official would be unwilling!”

“But I don’t know why, this official has a kind of trust in Your Majesty. People say the imperial family is without emotion, people say the emperor’s heart is full of schemes, but this official always feels that Tianzi treats me very well, treats me with extreme sincerity. I also repay Tianzi with sincerity!”

“I once heard that a hundred kinds of entanglements become demonic obstacles, and a heart with unwillingness must imprison itself!”

“How can a foolish person like me deceive myself? Perhaps I can deceive myself for a while, but can I deceive myself for a lifetime? Perhaps I can deceive my heart, but can I deceive my monarch?”

“Your Majesty, I have already realized that my path is not here, not in the national administrative system. After leaving Qi country, I will not join any other country. From now on, the road to the end of the world is far, and I will seek the Way alone.”

“Well said, ‘a hundred kinds of entanglements become demonic obstacles, a heart with unwillingness must imprison itself’!” Qi Jie Tianzi clapped his hands and said, “I surprisingly didn’t know that you are so unwilling in Qi country!”

“Your Majesty.” Jiang Wang remained bowed, not straightening up again. “This official’s unwillingness is not that Your Majesty treats me poorly, nor that Qi country is not great enough. This official’s unwillingness is that Your Majesty treats me too well, and this official is unable to fully repay you!”

“For Your Majesty’s grand plan, I am willing to hold a sword and bathe in blood, enduring a thousand wounds without retreating. But when it came to my three thousand armored soldiers, my two hundred close guards, my personal guard commander Fang Yuanxian… at the time of severance, the pain in this official’s heart was difficult to bear. Killing Chen Zhiwai was beneficial to the country, but this official actually wanted to save him. Persuading Zhu Biqiong was beneficial to the country, but this official dared not face her.”

“Your Majesty treats this official with such closeness and consideration, there is no one who could treat me better. This official truly wanted to devote my whole heart and soul to Your Majesty’s great cause, without choosing means, without caring about anything. But this official simply cannot do it!”

In the vast De Lu Palace, everything solidified. Only Jiang Wang’s voice still echoed.

Anyone under heaven would express loyalty in front of Tianzi. They would say they are willing to sacrifice themselves for Tianzi and the country, smearing their liver and brains on the ground, dying without regret. Some of these are real, some are not.

But there should not be a second person who would dissect their heart and speak in front of Tianzi, saying that they cannot follow imperial orders and disregard everything.

What extreme stupidity!

Qi Tianzi slowly said, “I believe these are your heartfelt words, but this is probably not all.”

Jiang Wang said, “This official’s heart is open, Your Majesty can see it with one glance.”

“Truly not quick-witted! Without wisdom! And with little knowledge! I told you to read books, told you to read history, what did you read?” Qi Tianzi casually picked up a jade cup from beside him and fiercely smashed it broken in front of Jiang Wang. “You read it into a dog’s belly!”

The jade fragments exploded open evenly, creating a flower on the ground. The water from the broken cup flowed like rivers, with some tea leaves like small boats. Winding, floating.

Han Ling’s eyelids twitched.

This tea was Xing He, Tianzi’s most loved tea. The tea from Yue Chao was all drunk with this book from the south. Now it was smashed here, showing his anger.

But even so, he did not execute Jiang Wang. Jiang Wang remained silent, only pressing his head even lower.

Qi Tianzi quietly looked at him for a while and said, “Stand up. How can this heaven under heaven be so narrow that it prevents you from straightening your body?”

Jiang Wang thus straightened his body: “Thank Your Majesty!”

“Thank you too early!” Qi Tianzi gave a cold laugh. “Everything you gained in Qi country, you paid corresponding efforts for. Your merits are undeniable, and my vast great country can also tolerate people from all over coming and going freely. We do not lack you, Jiang Wang. But the glory and reputation that Qi country gave you, you cannot just cast aside as you please.”

“This official knows I have been light and rash, stubborn and shortsighted, hurting Tianzi’s heart. This official also grieves for it! This official is willing to accept any punishment, in order to gain a slight solace.”

“My vast realm encompasses all under heaven, not just you, Jiang Qingyang!” Tianzi flicked his sleeve. “Fight a match with the Champion Marquis. If you win, I will release you to walk without ties or burdens. If you lose, I will strip your title, seize your position, scatter your fief, and imprison you for reflection!”

“Understood.”

“I haven’t said the rules yet.”

“Your Majesty’s heart is unique and impartial. Whatever the rules, this official will accept them all.”

“You still call yourself ‘this official’?”

“At least for now. This official views Your Majesty as an elder. Although no longer in court, in my heart I will still think of you.”

“There is one rule,” Qi Tianzi said. “You cannot kill him, because he is a Marquis of Great Qi country. He can kill you, because you are unwilling to be a minister!”

Jiang Wang bowed deeply: “Jiang Wang, though I die, I will have no resentment!”

“Go and proclaim the Champion Marquis,” Tianzi said. “Tell him that I want him to go all out and strike with deadly force.”

Han Ling bowed, received the order, and left.

He walked out of De Lu Palace, walked to a tall corridor pillar, and supported himself against it, only then able to breathe. He beckoned to a small Huang Men not far away.

“Did you hear all of Your Majesty’s words?”

The small Huang Men’s body stiffened, he took a step forward, almost stumbling and falling, but managed to kneel on the ground. “Reporting to Chief, I heard everything.”

“Dispatch the attendant eunuch…” Han Ling said to this point, then paused. “Who is on duty holding the pen?”

The small Huang Men fumbled in his bosom for a roster, busily searching for a while before saying, “Today on duty are Chief Qiu Ji and Chief Zhong Li Wen.”

“Truly a coincidence,” Han Ling thought slightly and waved his hand. “Let Qiu Ji go deliver the decree.”

He said “coincidence” because on the day the Marquis of Wu An and the Champion Marquis were conferred titles, it was precisely Qiu Ji and Zhong Li Wen who held the seals. Today, the two Marquises were to fight, and the on-duty pen-holding eunuchs were again precisely those who were friendly with each.

And letting who go deliver the decree was obviously also a choice of his, Han Ling.

Sometimes, one has to sigh at the coincidences of fate!

The small Huang Men firmly remembered Tianzi’s words, lowered his head, and walked straight to the Imperial Study. He found Qiu Ji, who was repeatedly practicing calligraphy, sitting in a room while Zhong Li Wen was in another.

He vaguely glanced at it, it seemed he was copying the “Drunk Wine Chapter”.

Wu Zu’s work after drinking that year, discussing the situation under heaven, the wild cursive script and the wind and clouds rolled together.

It was most normal for a pen-holding eunuch to copy the characters of past dynasty Tianzis.

“What instructions does Chief Han have?” Qiu Ji was the first to ask.

The small Huang Men repeated Tianzi’s oral decree once, not daring to add or subtract a single word.

“I understand.” He rose and left the Imperial Study.

Qiu Ji’s face was expressionless as he put down the brush in his hand. On duty today, he was wearing the inner official clothes representing a pen-holding eunuch. There was no need for other preparations. He went to get a travel jade plaque, then left the palace alone.

The Champion Marquis’s location was easy to find, at the Floating Life Wine Shed.

Many people knew that Champion Zun most often went to the Cloud Ferry Wine House, known as the “first house for discussing wine in Lin Zi”.

Of course, that place now belonged to Champion Sheng himself.

After the property was given to Champion Sheng, the Champion Marquis still often went to drink wine, showing that he truly liked it.

After the Cloud Ferry Wine House, it was the Floating Life Wine Shed. This wine shed was a work of Champion Da Ye, a prominent figure in Lin Zi. At its opening, he invited a large group of famous scholars to endorse it. It had only been formally open for two months when it was on the verge of bankruptcy due to poor management.

Finally, a mysterious rich person bought it for a huge sum. Champion Da Ye had people calculate the accounts and he still earned some money. He was once ambitiously prepared to create glory again, but thinking of the trouble of opening a shop, he gave up.

Da Ye was too lazy to earn hard-earned money.

Of course, this wine shed went through many hands, and eventually returned to Champion Zun’s. Many people secretly said that it should be called the Floating Life Wine Sack.

Qiu Yan left the palace, got into a carriage, and went straight to the Floating Life Wine Shed. By the time the carriage arrived, the communication had already been arranged beforehand. He went upstairs himself, walked to the drinking room belonging to Wang Yi Wu, and gently knocked on the door.

“Please enter.” Wang Yi Wu’s cold and proud voice rang out.

Qiu Ji gently pushed the door open and saw the two people drinking together. Wang Yi Wu sat straight and upright, his military uniform neat, without a single wrinkle. The wine cups and wine pot in front of the two were also placed neatly. One could imagine that each time he raised and lowered his cup, the bottom of the cup was in the same position, not deviating at all.

Meanwhile, the white-clothed Champion Zun leaned against the wall in a relaxed manner. He held a wine pot in one hand, raised his head, and drank eagerly. Even when Qiu Ji entered, it didn’t make him stop.

His Adam’s apple moved forcefully, drinking wine as if swallowing the sea.

“Your Majesty has an oral decree,” Qiu Ji said. Champion Zun drank the last drop from the silver wine pot, then shook it again, confirming it was empty before casually placing the empty wine pot beside him. He said with drunken intoxication, “This is the effect of ‘Thousand Autumn’ wine, fierce enough to ignite the air.”

As a pen-holding eunuch, delivering an oral decree from the imperial palace, although this decree was not as formal as an imperial decree, the Champion Marquis’s posture was indeed quite casual.

Qiu Ji acted as if he hadn’t seen it, and simply said, “Your Majesty orders the Champion Marquis to immediately enter the palace and fight the Marquis of Wu An in front of the imperial court, killing each other in a duel.”

“Thousand Autumn” was truly a first-class strong wine. Champion Zun’s cheeks were flushed with wine, which softened his cold and stern appearance. Beyond his cold, star-like eyes, there was a rare hint of confusion.

Leaning against the wall, the wine’s intent was clear. “Entering the palace is fine, but how did this stir Your Majesty’s elegant interest?”

“The Marquis of Wu An requested to resign in front of the imperial court,” Qiu Ji said only that one sentence, then added, “Your Majesty emphasized that the Champion Marquis should go all out and strike with deadly force.”

Hearing these words, Wang Yi Wu, whose sitting posture was like iron cast, furrowed his eyebrows into a “river” character. It was obvious that he could not understand Jiang Wang’s decision no matter what.

Champion Zun, however, said no more. He merely let out a subtle sigh, supported himself with his hand, stood up, and walked outside, swaying. “Let’s go!”

“Aren’t you going to watch the battle, Eunuch Qiu?” Wang Yi Wu asked from behind.

“No.” Qiu Ji nodded to him as a farewell, then turned around to lead the way for Champion Zun.

Wang Yi Wu sat quietly for a moment, only feeling the wine’s heat like a furnace. As a soldier, serving the army and the country was a choice etched in his bones. He could not understand Jiang Wang’s decision, but he knew how much courage that decision required. The duel between Champion Zun and him was absolutely not just a martial display. Tianzi’s requirement to strike with deadly force was absolutely not just words.

After thinking for a while, he still rose and walked to the window on the second floor to look outside. He saw Champion Zun get into the carriage. Only the lowered carriage curtain still gently fluttered.

He was just about to withdraw his gaze when a hand reached out from under the carriage curtain and gently waved, signaling him not to worry and to sit back down. Conveniently, it also caught a ray of light and brought it into the compartment.

The Marquis of Wu An requested to resign in front of the palace.

The Champion Marquis entered the imperial palace drunk.

The two Great Qi military merit Marquises would contend in front of the imperial court. The empire’s double walls were to face life and death this time.

Although this news was forbidden to be spread, it still grew wings and quickly flew to the ears of those who were qualified to hear it. For a time, rumors filled Lin Zi. All who heard were shocked!

Inside the Bo Wang Marquis residence.

Fourteen opened her innocent and blank eyes. “Why did he suddenly want to leave?”

“Not sudden?” Champion Sheng squeezed into the specially large chair, pressing his forehead with a headache. “He’s had this idea for a long time.”

“Why didn’t he come and ask you first? Now I feel he’s very… dangerous.”

In Fourteen’s heart, Champion Sheng was omnipotent. No matter what unsolvable knot was in Jiang Wang’s heart, Champion Sheng always had a way to solve it.

“No need to feel, he just is very dangerous. He’s already walked onto a tightrope on a cliff, with ten thousand zhang abysses on both sides. One wrong step, and recovery from ten thousand calamities is impossible.” Champion Sheng sighed. “And that’s exactly why he didn’t come to ask me. He knows I would definitely stop him… his intent is already decided.”

“Why exactly is this?” Fourteen was even more confused. “Can’t he not leave?”

“That’s where to begin…” Champion Sheng leaned back and looked at the sky. “During the campaign against Xia, Uncle was the commander. He, merely a guest of the Champion family, merely a Teng Long realm cultivator, actually spoke to stop Uncle from killing those who surrendered. He said that these surrendered soldiers of Jia City were his captives, and he had promised them they would be spared from death… Do you know what he was facing? It was a fierce slaughter! At that time, Uncle still didn’t recognize who he was. A Teng Long realm cultivator who had just come to Qi country and hadn’t yet proven himself, who would care about his promise? He himself cared.”

“During the campaign against Xia, he was also very confused. I persuaded him, and you were also present. In that war, we were very restrained, almost not harming innocent civilians and not killing those who surrendered even once. I actually didn’t care how we won the victory, but I cared about his feelings.”

“It’s just that this world doesn’t revolve around him, Jiang Wang. Not everyone will care about his feelings. What happened in that secret realm was not the first time, nor will it be the last. The further back you go, the greater the contradictions. The higher he walks, the more unable he is to turn back.”

“But why did I repeatedly advise him, not advise him to leave earlier?” Because staying in Qi country was the most beneficial choice for him, provided he knew how to choose. At first, we all have a soft heart. Rolling in broken stones and sand, the heart slowly becomes as firm as iron. I was waiting for his heart to become armored, waiting for him to become a true empire high-level official, able to face everything he carries more calmly, but he already couldn’t endure.”

“You can say he doesn’t know the immensity of heaven and earth, or that he’s missing a screw in his head. He’s just that kind of person. He always has some untimely stubbornness. He doesn’t fit this world.”

Fourteen listened, half understanding and half not, but she cared very much about her friend Jiang Wang. “Then what do we do now? How can we help him?”

“Doing anything now is useless,” Champion Sheng sighed. “We can only wait for the result here.”

He slowly grasped Fourteen’s hand, letting their heartbeats be heard by each other.

“In your heart, your husband is the smartest person in the world, and can certainly think of a method where both sides win beautifully. But sometimes, methods where both sides win beautifully… don’t exist.”