Chapter 110 A Rotten Life

Ran Min and Marquis Zheng had many similarities, both rising from humble beginnings and riding the winds in this era of great contention.

But the two of them had one major difference.

Even when Marquis Zheng was running an inn in Tiger Head City, he felt that his life was quite valuable.

After rising to power, he took the concept of "staying alive" to the extreme.

Without Lao Tian's personal strength, Marquis Zheng's security force was enough to make those people or forces who had once considered using assassination to eliminate this threat feel their teeth ache, even… throbbing with pain.

Ran Min was different.

His mindset had always been fixed.

His life was worthless.

From the days he was a merchant until now, he had never changed.

Perhaps,

Even though the Yan Emperor had trampled the aristocracy, eliminated the foundations of the powerful families in one fell swoop, and the Great Yan's continuous foreign wars had created countless opportunities, in the end, those who were truly able to seize these opportunities and rise up were those who dared to risk everything.

So,

He wasn't threatening the Queen Mother.

He was simply stating,

Stating a fact:

My life is worthless anyway. Trading it for your life, I think it’s worth it, I profit, what about you?

The back of the knife pressed against the skin, feeling somewhat cold.

Ran Min thought to himself,

He knew that the Queen Mother had already been forced into a difficult situation,

Reluctant to die,

But without a way to back down gracefully.

She could have played a better emotional card, but she had been outmaneuvered by a mere patrol commander.

So,

You should faint.

"You, how dare you!"

The Queen Mother pointed at Ran Min, and shouted angrily. Immediately, she leaned back and "fainted."

This was the best way to resolve the matter. Since there was no graceful exit, she would simply lie down and wait for someone to carry her away.

At that moment,

Ran Min realized that the so-called royal nobles and aristocratic families were nothing more than this.

Sheathing his blade,

Standing up,

Ran Min cupped his fist in salute and said:

"The Queen Mother is feeling unwell. Help her down to rest."

Immediately after,

Ran Min raised his hand,

And ordered his subordinates;

"Seize them!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Hold on!"

At this moment,

A large man in armor walked out from inside, followed by a group of Prince's guards.

They didn't carry swords; they simply walked out.

The large man's surname was Xu. He had once been a palace gate guard of the Great Cheng Kingdom, equivalent to the imperial bodyguard of later generations.

He had followed Situ Lei to Zhennanguan to fight the Chu people, and later followed the emperor on expeditions to fight the barbarians.

When the Great Cheng Kingdom submitted to Yan,

With his position at the time, he could have easily secured a guerrilla general's position in the army. If he survived a few battles, rising to a Jin person's general was almost guaranteed.

In the end, even if he didn’t reach Gong Wang’s current status, the difference wouldn’t be too great.

But he chose to stay, staying within the Prince's mansion to protect the young master.

"Commander Ran, Xu is here to submit himself."

Ran Min knew Xu Peng, or rather, as the patrol commander, the Patrol Division mainly monitored the old bureaucrats and dignitaries represented by the Prince's mansion.

"Commander Xu, you're not on the Prince's guard roster. You hold an official position."

This time, only the guards on the roster were being taken.

Whether they were on the roster was simple; the Prefect's Office had records. Although the Prince's mansion's guards, maids, and eunuchs were all people of the Prince's mansion, in theory, they could receive a salary from the public coffers every month.

In other words, they were essentially eating the Great Yan Dynasty's rations to serve the Prince's mansion.

Xu Peng smiled,

And shouted:

"The Great Xing Emperor's Iron Guards are all here!"

"Here!"

"Here!"

Xu Peng unfastened his armor,

"Remove your armor!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Yes, sir!"

All the Prince's guards began to remove their armor.

Very heroic,

Very valiant,

But in Ran Min's eyes, undoubtedly another idiot only seeking his own pleasure.

First, the Queen Mother, with clear resentment, directly accused Emperor Yan of going back on his word and bullying their orphans and widows;

Now, an old official of the Great Cheng Kingdom, and a military officer at that, was leading the charge and shouting out the Great Xing Emperor's Iron Guards. It seemed like a self-imposed surrender, but it created a tragic atmosphere in terms of prestige and integrity.

They were comfortable, they were satisfied.

Well,

That's fine too.

Ran Min knew that there must be people from the Secret Intelligence Division here. Everything that happened here today would be sent to Yanjing as quickly as possible, to the Crown Prince Regent, to the officials, and even… to the back garden.

Martial artists and common folk had different perspectives from those in power.

In the eyes of those in power, this scene wasn't tragic, wasn't indignant, wasn't resolute,

But,

The Prince Cheng's mansion,

The remnants of the Great Cheng Kingdom,

Were unconvinced!

What to do with those who were unconvinced?

Deal with them.

Good, the biggest risk of this mission had definitely been eliminated by themselves.

Ran Min felt that they had probably been high and mighty for too long and had forgotten the most standard way to kneel.

"Men, take them all down. Count them according to the roster. If everyone is present, then we won't enter the mansion, disturbing the Prince and Queen Mother's peace.

Although Commander Xu is not on the roster, he is welcome to have tea at the Patrol Division."

The guards were gathered and counted.

Xu Peng walked up to Ran Min.

Ran Min could even feel the surging vitality within him.

This was an expert,

An undeniable expert.

At such close range, if they fought, his own blade wouldn't even have time to touch the opponent before his bones were shattered by a fist.

But Ran Min wasn't afraid at all,

Still looking at Xu Peng with a smile,

And said:

"I don't know what kind of tea Commander Xu likes to drink."

"Commander Ran, I advise you, if you're going to send my brothers on their way, let me go with my brothers, otherwise…"

Ran Min nodded,

And said;

"My life is worthless, but I can barely be considered a court official, with a thick face at least. One life for another, I don't think I'm at a loss."

"You really think I'm just scaring you?"

Ran Min didn't answer,

But looked around,

Closed his eyes,

Took a breath,

And said:

"Burying them here is pretty good."

Xu Peng's facial muscles twitched after hearing these words.

"Report, Commander, two are missing."

Ran Min looked at Xu Peng.

"Deceased, not reported in time."

Ran Min nodded and said, "Good, return to the Patrol Division!"

The Patrol Division soldiers escorted the Prince's guards away from the mansion.

Xu Peng still followed,

Ran Min didn't ride a horse, but walked side by side with Xu Peng.

Leaving the Prince's mansion,

Leaving the former Imperial Way,

Turning into the civilian alleys,

Many onlookers gathered around.

Most of these people had been Yindu residents for generations and were used to the lofty existence of the Situ family.

Even after the Yan people came, and the Imperial Palace became a Prince's mansion, the direct line of the Situ family still maintained its honor.

But today,

This honor and inviolability,

Was trampled on.

Walking next to Ran Min, Xu Peng opened his mouth and said;

"I heard that the new Prefect has ordered beheadings? Heh."

This was actually a test,

Containing,

A kind of negotiation.

Because there should be room for negotiation in everything.

Ran Min suddenly felt a little bored.

Some people had to maintain a condescending tone and manner even when begging or negotiating;

And,

They just couldn't see the situation clearly.

Ran Min feigned surprise and said:

"Ah, I almost forgot. Thank you for the reminder, Commander Xu. The prisons are full, and there's no place to detain them. Men, execute them on the spot!"

"Puff!"

"Puff!"

"Puff!"

The Patrol Division soldiers, who had been prepared for this, directly plunged their blades into the bodies of the bound Prince's guards. Some crossbowmen unhesitatingly fired their bolts.

In an instant,

On the street,

The smell of blood quickly filled the air.

The screams were initially scarce because the guards didn't have time to scream.

But then, screams rose and fell. The surrounding onlookers hadn't expected such a scene and were terrified.

Xu Peng froze in place, watching the blood of his brothers slowly flow together and gradually spread to the soles of his boots.

His body was trembling, and the vitality within him was restless.

Ran Min didn't move away from him,

But instead, moved closer to him,

As if offering himself up,

But Xu Peng endured it.

Ran Min then shook his head in disappointment,

Smiled disdainfully,

Then,

Felt a little lost.

He had been distracted by Xu Peng, and his rhythm had been disrupted.

Originally,

The scene that appeared in his mind was by the Wangjiang River, beneath Jade Plate City, where Marquis Pingxi sat on the back of a Pixiu and lightly asked the people around him:

How are they still alive?

Wow,

This scene,

Had been branded in Ran Min's mind.

Today, he could look down on the people in the Prince's mansion, but he couldn't look down on Marquis Pingxi.

Some time ago, after Marquis Pingxi was enfeoffed, a censor in Yanjing had submitted a memorial praising the Marquis, but in reality, it harbored malicious intent:

Looking at the current Great Yan, military men mostly take Marquis Pingxi as their model.

But, this was indeed the truth.

Even Ran Min couldn't avoid the trend. He had originally planned to copy this scene, but ultimately failed to do so, unable to pay homage to his idol.

What a pity,

What a pity.

………

"This is too much, this is too much!!!!!!"

Situ Yu was roaring incessantly in the inner hall.

The old eunuch Zhao Wenhua was kneeling there, blocking the hall door.

Beside Situ Yu was a spirit tablet, the spirit tablet of Situ Lei.

The Queen Mother had gone out and then "fainted."

Zhao Wenhua didn't have the ability to be in two places at once. He couldn't stop the Queen Mother, but he stopped Situ Yu.

First, he was stepped on by Marquis Pingxi on Stone Mountain,

Then, he was slapped by the new Prefect.

Situ Yu, young and with some cunning, couldn't restrain himself and erupted.

If Zhao Wenhua hadn't stopped him,

If the Prince's guards hadn't been tied up and sent away, and no one was around to help Situ Yu drag away this old eunuch,

Situ Yu might have already rushed out with Situ Lei's spirit tablet.

"Your Highness, we are fish on the chopping block. At this time, we need to endure even more. Only by enduring the bitterness of bitterness can one become a superior man. Even the Great Xing Emperor back then lay dormant for a long time before finally finding an opportunity to establish meritorious service at Zhennanguan, return to the court, and regain the throne."

"But I can't, I can't stand it!"

Zhao Wenhua sighed,

Stood up,

Walked to a decorative shelf on the side,

Reached out and picked up a gemstone-encrusted dagger, then walked up to Situ Yu and presented the dagger.

"Zhao, what does this mean?"

"If you can't endure it, you can only die, Your Highness."

Perhaps due to the recent unfortunate events, and the fact that this young master was acting on impulse, coupled with the Queen Mother's meddling, Zhao Wenhua couldn't hold back his anger:

"If you don't dare to die, don't want to die, and it's not worth dying, then you can only endure."

Situ Yu's mouth twitched a few times, staring at the old eunuch whose face was already covered with age spots. Finally, he retreated a few steps and sat back down in his chair.

"But, when will we have to endure until?"

"Your Highness, you are still young. You have a long life ahead of you. That Yan Emperor in Yanjing is already running out of time. This servant doesn't believe that his Yan Kingdom truly has a hundred years of strength.

When the situation changes in the future, Your Highness, you will still have a chance.

Now,

No matter what we encounter,

No matter what we experience,

All we can do is endure, constantly endure, and keep enduring."

Situ Yu showed a cold smile on his face, a very clear cold smile, deliberately showing it to the person in front of him.

Zhao Wenhua felt a little helpless.

He had once been Situ Lei's companion.

He had seen Situ Lei's appearance and temperament when he was young.

Honestly,

The person in front of him,

Was far too different from the Great Xing Emperor back then.

"Zhao."

"This servant is here."

"Mother wants me to wait, to lie dormant, to at least preserve the wealth and inheritance of this line. I understand that Mother truly wants what's best for me.

Mother is a woman. She doesn't know about the outside world, nor does she know how dangerous it is out there. When Father was around, Mother was at ease. After Father left, Mother could only try to support the inner court.

Mother may not do well enough, but I know that Mother is my biological mother. No matter what she does, her starting point is for me, for her son."

"What Your Highness says is true."

"But what about you, Zhao!"

"Your Highness………"

"Do you really think I'm completely blind and deaf, and think I'm a child who is easily fooled?

I want stability. If the Yan people are willing, I also want to come out and do something, at least, to make the Prince's mansion more dignified.

You claim that you want me to endure,

But do you really think I don't know what you and those other people are doing behind my and Mother's backs?"

"This old servant has absolutely no disloyal intentions towards Your Highness and the Queen Mother. This old servant is loyal to the Great Xing Emperor and loyal to Your Highness."

"Heh, then what about Stone Mountain?"

Situ Yu reached out and slammed his hand down.

"Could it be that Marquis Pingxi was really angry at me for no reason, just because he didn't like the look of me?"

……

"Is it really okay to treat this orphan and widow like this?"

In a military fort outside Yindu, a colonel from the Jin army was leading his troops in drills for Marquis Zheng.

Marquis Zheng stood on the fort's wall, with a smile on his face.

Hearing the Sword Saint's words,

Marquis Zheng continued to smile, without turning around,

And said:

"You can't bear to watch?"

"Not really."

"With one word from you, I'll stop. A Prince's mansion is nothing compared to the importance of you, Yu Huaping, in my heart."

"Zheng Fan."

"Hmm?"

"I've seen many princes and generals. Do you know the biggest difference between you and them?"

"Tell me."

"They, when they reach your position, or even before they reach your position, have already started to care about face."

"Hahaha, actually, I also care a lot about face, but, after all, they are my own family, it's different. Lao Yu, if we get along for a longer time, I can take Da Hu as my godson. You also work hard, and when your own son comes out, I'll also take him as my godson. If there really comes a day, giving him a Prince title isn't impossible."

"You have too many godsons. Will there be enough princes to enffeof them?"

"This is just the beginning. Chu hasn't been conquered yet, Qian hasn't been conquered yet. In between, there are so many small countries. Besides, there's also the vast desert. And, if nothing goes wrong, going west through the desert, there's an even larger territory."

The Sword Saint shook his head and said, "I'm actually discussing this issue with you."

"Lao Yu, I understand you, and I feel that you are slowly understanding me too."

"Usually, when you start with these words, it means you're laying the groundwork for asking me to do something for you next time."

"What I mean is, I'm a friend worth making, and I've always wanted to treat you as a friend."

"In the jargon of martial arts sects, usually when you start with these words, you're trying to trick me into going to any lengths to help you."

"Hahaha, well, Lao Tian dares to let me raise Tiantian here with peace of mind, proving that I, Zheng Fan, am at least reliable in this regard.

You,

If one day you get tired,

And want to go out and travel the world with your sword again,

It's okay,

I'll take care of your family for you, anyway, we're just neighbors."

"I'm not talking anymore, I'm going to take a nap."

The Sword Saint waved his hand and left the wall.

Zheng Fan continued to smile, watching the drills below.

Soon after,

Gou Moli brought two girls up.

"Speak, what are your names?" Gou Moli asked the two girls.

"Replying to the adult, my name is Helian Xianglan."

"Replying to the adult, my name is Wenren Mier."

Gou Moli then asked:

"Where did you come from?"

"We were adopted by Prince Cheng's mansion."

"Yes, the Prince treats us very well."

"Alright, go down."

"Yes, sir."

"Yes, sir."

Gou Moli leaned close to Zheng Fan and asked, "Marquis, what do you think of this?"

Zheng Fan shook his head and said, "It won't stand scrutiny."

Gou Moli said flatteringly, "Anyway, if you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext. Providing a target is just a formality."

"It's not time yet. Just give them a warning. Let's keep them for now. Also, the candidates have to be changed."

"Yes, this subordinate was just finding two examples. When they are really needed, I will train them well in terms of accent and demeanor. Mister Feng is good at this."

"I didn't tell you to do these things."

"This is what this subordinate should do. Anyone who my lord has stepped on but not killed, and those who have offended my lord, this subordinate will make preparations for, and when necessary, completely bite them to death."

Zheng Fan sighed,

And said;

"This Marquis thinks, to what extent must the Situ family's brains be muddled to adopt the orphans of the Wenren or Helian family? No one would be so suicidal.

Unless,

Their brains were kicked by a donkey."

……

"Your Highness, please calm down."

A beautiful girl walked over and gently stroked Situ Yu's back.

In the bedroom,

Situ Yu had a sullen face,

But after the girl came over, his expression clearly softened.

"That servant had other intentions and wanted to make decisions for the master, but his hands and feet were not clean. The most infuriating thing is that I can't even vent my anger on him.

Heh,

Everyone in this Prince's mansion seems to call me Your Highness or Young Master, but in reality, who really takes me seriously?"

As he spoke,

The girl reached out and stroked the back of Situ Yu's head,

And softly comforted:

"Your Highness, you have to hold on. Everyone in this slave's family was killed by the Yan people. This slave can only rely on you in this life."