The Child Emperor - Chapter 130: Leaving the Village

Jin Chuiduo rode into the Riverside Village, which was no longer a proper village after the attack. Anyone who dared to address her as “Empress” was met with a stern glare, and soon, the excited calls ceased.

She approached Han Ruzi without dismounting, her gaze not lingering on him but scanning around for a moment before asking, “Are you Chao Hua?”

Chao Hua was taken aback. “Yes, Empress…”

“I’ve brought back your father’s killer.”

“What?”

Jin Chunbao, her eldest brother, dismounted and pulled another person down, shoving him in front of Chao Hua.

Yan Dong, also known as Yan Qilang, knelt in the mud, looking panicked. Suddenly seeing Prince Donghai, he cried out in tears, “Prince Donghai, save me! I did these things for you!”

Prince Donghai was furious. He approached and kicked him harshly. “You did these things for me? Leaving me alone here, is that doing things for me? Coming with the Chai family to set fire to the village, is that doing things for me?”

Yan Dong’s hands were bound behind his back. After rolling in the mud, he struggled to get up, even dirtier, and cried, “It was you who ordered us to take the village, to wait for the Weary Marquis to return and then kidnap him. But he was prepared, and we had to… escape. Burning Riverside Village was also… also your uncle’s idea.”

Prince Donghai was about to kick him again when Chao Hua stepped forward, drew his sword, and pointed it at Yan Dong, coldly asking, “Did you kill my father?”

“Huh? Your father… who is he?”

“Chief Clerk Chao Yongsi.”

Yan Dong pondered for a moment, then looked at Prince Donghai, who immediately said, “I didn’t instruct you to kill anyone.”

Yan Dong didn’t dare to push the blame onto Prince Donghai. He turned to Jin Chunbao and said, “It wasn’t just me who did it. There were five of us there, including Jin Chunbao…”

Jin Chunbao’s face reddened. He lowered his head. “I was indeed there at the time. Yan Dong acted without our consent, but I didn’t stop him… If you seek revenge, I’m here.”

Chao Hua was filled with anger, but when it involved the brother of “Empress,” he hesitated a bit.

Just as Yan Dong was trying to evade responsibility, Han Ruzi walked behind Jin Chuiduo and respectfully greeted the mad monk Guangding, “Gentlemen, your arrival is timely and saved our lives.”

“It’s the rain that came just in time.” Guangding had brought dozens of people. They dismounted, trying to conceal their curiosity with a reserved demeanor.

“If I could trouble Master Guangding with introducing these heroes to me.”

Guangding then introduced each person with their name and nickname. Han Ruzi bowed to each person, trying hard to remember this string of names.

“There were originally hundreds of people, but everyone had something to attend to and couldn’t make it. These fifty-four came to see if Your Majesty needed help, unexpectedly encountering a group of villains besieging the village. Although their numbers were not few, fortunately, the timely rain threw them into chaos, giving us the opportunity to succeed.”

Han Ruzi was about to express gratitude again when Guangding gestured for him to speak aside.

As the attackers on land retreated and the ships on the lake did not arrive, there was some chaos in the village. Han Ruzi and Guangding entered a nearby surviving house to talk.

“Is Your Majesty really going to the Northern Frontier to fight the Xiongnu?”

“Of course.”

“In that case, there’s nothing more to say. We’ll take our leave later. Alas, I can’t continue in this role of a mad monk. I’ll find a place to be a bandit.”

“I owe you all an apology. Everyone gathered risking their lives, but because of me, it came to nothing…”

Guangding waved his hand, “This cannot be blamed on Your Majesty. It was our sudden impulse, coupled with the instigation of the fate seers… And we also didn’t consult Your Majesty beforehand.”

“Please refrain from addressing me as Your Majesty.”

“Very well, then we bid farewell.”

“Just a moment.” Han Ruzi glanced outside. Yan Dong was still trying to shift blame, Chao Hua hesitated with the knife in his hand, Jin Chuiduo remained silent on horseback, not looking at anyone.

Han Ruzi said sincerely, “If, just if, I were to become Emperor, what would your requests be?”

“Well, we’d have to genuinely help for us to have the qualification to make requests.”

“Since it’s just a hypothetical, let’s hear it.”

Guangding pondered for a moment, then clasped his hands together, “The pugilist world seeks face and reputation. We don’t ask for much. If Your Majesty could issue a general amnesty when the time comes, and alleviate the burden on the people with regards to taxes, it would be considered gratitude to all the heroes of the pugilist world.”

Han Ruzi smiled, and Guangding added, “Of course, there are also those who aspire to official positions, but that’s another matter. You don’t need me to convey that.”

“If there really comes such a day, and I need your help, where should I find you?”

Guangding stared at Han Ruzi, “I have some insight into people, but not as much as Chunyu Xiao. He believes in you and is willing to bet big on you. As for me, honestly, I feel like there’s something lacking in you, something that makes it difficult for you to reclaim the throne.”

“Please, Master, elaborate,” Han Ruzi said, bowing.

“I won’t call you Your Majesty, and you needn’t call me Master. I’m just a wandering crazy monk.”

“Then please, monk, enlighten me.”

Guangding pointed to the fifty or so pugilists outside, “These heroes came to support Your Majesty’s ascension, but they’re unwilling to follow Your Majesty to the Northern Frontier. Why? The risk is too great, and the gains too little. The Chu empire has a million strong army; they don’t need our help to resist the Xiongnu.”

“Are you saying I lack ambition?”

Guangding’s mouth widened, but his laughter was subdued, “Ambition is something unseen and intangible. Who knows if you have it or not? What you lack is the aura of a hero. Clean and gentle, your demeanor suggests you grew up in a noble household. The pugilist world has its own ways; you’re not one of us. Alas, Chunyu Xiao has truly led us astray. Anyway, that’s enough. If you want to know how to find us in the future, it’s actually simple. If you truly become renowned throughout the world, I’ll naturally bring people to find you.”

Guangding bowed, then changed to clasping his fists, walked out briskly, mounted his horse, and loudly said to his companions who followed, “Let’s go, brothers. The government’s lackeys must have been mobilized by now. Let’s go and tease them a bit.”

The others responded with acknowledgement, mounting their horses one by one, and swiftly rode away.

At this moment, Han Ruzi could rally a group of poor and needy peasants, but he didn’t hold much appeal for the heroes of the pugilist world. He didn’t mind. He walked out of the room and said to Jin Chuiduo, “I thought you brought them here.”

Jin Chuiduo seemed not to have heard and waited a moment before replying, “We just happened to meet.”

Han Ruzi then turned to Chao Hua and asked, “Are you sure who killed Chief Clerk Chao?”

“It’s this person.” Chao Hua pointed his knife at Yan Dong, deciding not to implicate others. “The others only failed to stop him. He’s the one who did it.”

Yan Dong finally understood. Unable to count on Prince Donghai’s help, he turned to Han Ruzi pleadingly, “My father is the Deputy Commander of the Capital, and my grandfather was once a General of Southern Protection. I just killed an old fisherman. Don’t let me lose my life. My family can pay, we can pay any amount. We have money. We’ve been through hard times, Weary Marquis, please, we’re of the same kind. I served as a palace attendant, I’ve been inside the palace…”

Han Ruzi raised his hand to stop Yan Dong from continuing, then loudly addressed the crowd, “He didn’t just kill an old fisherman. He also killed a chief clerk of our army. His crime is unforgivable.” Then he said to Chao Hua, “Please, General Chao, enforce military law.”

Chao Hua nodded, grasped his knife, raised it high, and Yan Dong cowered in the mud, repeating, “Don’t kill me…”

Chao Hua swung his blade.

Blood sprayed, Prince Donghai shivered, his brow furrowed. In his heart, he agreed with Yan Dong’s words. If it was just an old fisherman who was being killed, he wouldn’t even bat an eye. But this was a noble son, even if he died, he shouldn’t die at the hands of another fisherman.

Prince Donghai just thought about it.

“Move out,” Han Ruzi ordered.

The militia marched out of the village in order.

Jin Chuiduo said to her second brother Jin Chunzhong, “Come with me.”

“Where to?”

“To the steppes, of course.”

“What about Father?”

“He was killed by the Chai family.”

“Aren’t we going to avenge him?”

“How can we avenge him in the Capital?” Jin Chuiduo’s face grew cold. Her second brother always listened to her and rarely asked questions.

Jin Chunzhong glanced at Han Ruzi. “Weary Marquis is also heading north. Why don’t we…”

“They’re going to fight the Xiongnu. What business do we have with that?” She had failed to save her father, and the road to the steppes was fraught with difficulties. Jin Chuiduo wasn’t in a good mood.

The maid Qingting had been riding behind her mistress, constantly sending signals to Han Ruzi at this time.

Han Ruzi approached and said, “You should come with us.”

“Why?”

“First, the Chai family sent people to attack Riverside Village twice, indicating they also hold me responsible for the death of Little Marquis Chai. We should cooperate. Second, Jin Chunzhong is one of my trusted subordinates, I need him. Third… third, I’m inviting you.”

Han Ruzi didn’t wait for Jin Chuiduo to respond, he strode forward.

Jin Chunzhong looked at his sister. Seeing her silent for a long time and not moving, he finally felt assured. A smile gradually appeared on his face, and he ran to catch up with Weary Marquis.

The people in the village were getting fewer and fewer. Jin Chunbao whispered softly, “I don’t think Chao Hua has forgiven us…”

“Has the Chai family forgiven me? Have we forgiven the Chai family? Why should Chao Hua forgive us?” Jin Chunbao remained silent with his head bowed. In one day, he had lost his father, had lost the affection of his sister, and had lost the trust of and status in the army. It was a complete defeat. But he had nowhere to go, so he could only silently follow along.

As the day was about to dawn, the road became muddier. Prince Donghai was another person with nowhere to go. He trudged along, saying to Han Ruzi, “You really do treat beautiful women well. You’ve given all the horses to the Jin family, even the maid has one. What about my cousin?”

“She’s not here.” Han Ruzi missed Cui Xiaojun, but he didn’t intend to show any emotion to Prince Donghai. “The Jin family is of Xiongnu descent. They might be useful in the North Frontier.”

“What’s the use? You’re going to battle, not seeking marriage alliances.”

Han Ruzi glanced back at Prince Donghai. “Who said we would have to go to battle once we reach the Northern Frontier?”

Prince Donghai was taken aback, then sneered, “Huh, you’ve become cunning. No, you’ve always been cunning; you just didn’t show it before. You want to head to the Northern Frontier to avoid trouble and then watch tigers fight from the sidelines. I’m afraid you won’t last a month before being eaten by a tiger.”

“You should come with me.”

“I’m being held hostage by you. Do I have a choice?”

“You can choose to come with me voluntarily.”

Prince Donghai remained silent. He knew what Han Ruzi wanted to say. The most powerful support, Grand Tutor Cui, actually harbored murderous intentions. This shattered his world into pieces, leaving him with no home to return to.

Han Ruzi didn’t say much either. He walked on with big strides, occasionally looking around, pleased to see that the militia remained orderly and intact.

The procession moved slowly. After noon, they reached the official road. This raggedy militia actually wanted to openly demand justice from the Grand Marshal of the Southern Army. Prince Donghai thought it was a joke, but still pointed out the direction of the Southern Army’s camp.

As the group walked a short distance along the official road, they encountered a team of soldiers with flags flying.

The vanguard of the militia halted, and Han Ruzi and Prince Donghai went forward to take a look. Prince Donghai immediately recognized, “That’s the flag of the Imperial Palace Guards. Does the Empress Dowager want to issue a decree to you?”

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