Rebirth: The Journey of an Heiress-Chapter 823 - 820: I Believe

The King of Xihuai’s eyes were red, his voice weak: "Go back... to collect the bodies of the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, or to guard their tombs! We still have to return!"

"Has Your Highness never thought, if it truly is too late... then don’t go back, continue southward, to settle in a place of serene mountains and clear waters, where the seasons are gentle and pleasant, and live as a wealthy man?" Xiao Rongyan looked earnestly at the King of Xihuai, seizing the opportunity to convey his thoughts, "In Wei Kingdom, Your Highness has aided Rong Yan greatly. Rong Yan sincerely wishes to establish an estate for Your Highness... fulfilling Your Highness’s desire to spend a lifetime as a carefree wealthy man."

The King of Xihuai looked at Xiao Rongyan, his eyes reddening further, and smiled through the mist that had begun to cloud his vision: "Rong Yan, despite having numerous friends in this life, the only one who has truly lent me a hand in my time of crisis is you! Becoming friends with you in this lifetime... has indeed been worthwhile!"

As he spoke, tears fell from the King of Xihuai’s eyes. He hastily wiped them with his sleeve, exhaling deeply. After a moment of melancholy laughter, he composed himself and looked seriously at Xiao Rongyan.

"Rong Yan, you mustn’t return to Wei Kingdom! Though you are from Wei, your businesses are spread across many lands. And... you are betrothed to the Princess of Zhen Kingdom. Although this princess struggles with lineage, she is indeed a rare beauty. Should you join the Bai family, you will also become a relative of the Jin Kingdom’s royal family, and surely no one will dare to look down on you!"

"If you value offspring too much, do not take concubines, nor engage in romantic pursuits within the borders of Jin Kingdom," the King of Xihuai chuckled again. "I forgot, you are not inclined towards such things! That’s well... indeed well! If you truly cherish the Princess of Zhen, you can adopt a successor in the future!"

The King of Xihuai prattled on, his words somewhat incoherent, yet heartfelt, wanting to give his final instructions to his friend, Xiao Rongyan.

Xiao Rongyan clenched his fists and said, "Your Highness need not return to Wei Kingdom. The Empress Dowager and Prime Minister Gongsun tasked Your Highness with seeking survival for Wei Kingdom, hoping you could preserve some bloodline of the Imperial Family for the future!"

The King of Xihuai, hearing Xiao Rongyan’s words, displayed a moment of confusion like that of a child before regaining clarity.

He shook his head, laughing self-mockingly: "I know what I am capable of, and the Empress Dowager and Prime Minister Gongsun know it even more! With my inability to shoulder or carry, hoping for my future achievements is laughable! In truth, I have let down Prime Minister Gongsun. Despite his busyness, he carried out my elder brother’s command to tutor me, yet every time, I exasperated him to the point of fury, never once earning his satisfaction!"

The King of Xihuai choked and sighed, "I am a Prince of Wei. If Wei is in peril, I am powerless... Unable to wield a sword to defend our lands, nor do I have the courage to die for the nation. Returning to Wei to leave my fate to the heavens is my utmost loyalty to Wei."

"Your Highness..."

"Rong Yan, I know you are my good brother, there’s no need to persuade me further. I have made up my mind. Having indulged in half a lifetime of revelry, for the first time, I feel I have made a proper decision, showing a man’s determination! Merely... it is a pity we cannot carouse together again!" The King of Xihuai sniffled, revealing a foolish grin to Xiao Rongyan, "Yet this is inevitable. As a Prince of Wei, even if I did not carry myself well usually, I can’t disgrace my ancestors in times of national crisis. Otherwise, when I meet my father, I will surely be punished. When I was young, my father hit me often with a paddle, and if not for my elder brother... I might have lost my hands!"

"Speaking of my elder brother, he was a good Emperor... and an even better brother. It is hateful that Yan Kingdom... killed my elder brother! I should have been the one to die! I am the most useless of all the Imperial Clan of Wei, constantly causing trouble for my elder brother, and he always had to clean up my messes..."

The King of Xihuai continued to ramble and cry, his sleeves already soaked through.

In all his words, it was clear that the King of Xihuai sensed the nearing fall of the nation, leaving him anxious and fearful.

"When I see my father and elder brother in the afterlife, the sole thing I can proudly say is that I didn’t flee when our country faced calamity. I can tell my elder brother that despite being unable to save the nation, I did not cowardly abandon it to save myself. Perhaps such determination might bring a shred of comfort to my brother, who always held disappointment in me, making him see some redeeming quality in me."

Nobody knew how long the King of Xihuai talked, but night had already fallen when he finally spoke hoarsely to Xiao Rongyan in the darkness. "Rong Yan, you must not follow me henceforth! You have done enough for me, honoring your loyalty to Wei Kingdom and our brotherhood. From now on... I must walk this path alone. I cannot let you be burdened by me any longer."

These words, the King of Xihuai dared to speak only in the dark, fearing he would lack the courage otherwise.

After all, throughout this journey, Xiao Rongyan had been his pillar, saving his life time and again. Without Xiao Rongyan, he would have perished countless times.

The King of Xihuai of today astonished Xiao Rongyan time and again.

"Our brotherhood in this lifetime ends here. Rong Yan... I owe you a debt that I will repay tenfold in our next life! Trust me!" the King of Xihuai’s tone was resolute.

"I trust Your Highness." Xiao Rongyan said.

"That is good... that is good! I feared you wouldn’t believe me. In Wei, I had exploited my power to deceive countless treasures from you without accomplishing anything in return. Reflecting back now, I feel deeply guilty! I have scammed treasures from many, not even trusting myself sometimes! Others didn’t speak up only because I was my elder brother’s favorite. Now, with Wei in decline, I’m fortunate you still trust me! You are my true brother!" frёeweɓηovel_coɱ

That day, on the second floor of a small courtyard at an inn in Daming Prefecture, the King of Xihuai reminisced as if confessing his past sins.

Before dawn the next day, the King of Xihuai instructed his subordinates to leave without disturbing Xiao Rongyan, packing his belongings to depart.

Yue Shi accompanied Xiao Rongyan atop the roof ridge of the inn’s observation tower, watching as the King of Xihuai’s men loaded the carriages and slowly left the inn...

Yue Shi asked Xiao Rongyan, "Master, should we stop the King of Xihuai? Last night, he received the latest news about the Rong Masked General. He is likely heading to Xiangliang to intercept the Rong Masked Prince before the thirteenth of January! If the King of Xihuai indeed intercepts the Rong Masked Prince..."

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