Chapter 22: Mo Shuihan’s Breakdown at the Sight of the Memorial Tablets
After leading him out of the main courtyard, Fu Yi waved his men away, then gestured for Mo Shuihan to follow him.
Mo Shuihan shot him a cold look. âThe Marquis has dismissed everyone. Surely you donât have something shameful to discuss?â
Fu Yi smiled, unfazed by the sarcasm. He knew Mo Shuihan was angry. âYouâll know once you see it, Prince Consort.â
Mo Shuihan knew Fu Yi was a master of martial arts and that he was no match for him. He offered no pointless resistance and followed him through a corridor to a secluded courtyard. The doors to the main hall were closed, but through the gauze windows, he could see that it was brightly lit with candles. For some reason, Mo Shuihanâs heart began to pound with unease.
Fu Yi gestured with his hand. âPrince Consort, after you.â
Mo Shuihan followed nervously behind him. Fu Yi shoved the doors open and stepped aside. In an instant, a dense sea of memorial tablets flooded Mo Shuihanâs vision. In the very center, two tablets were inscribed with the names: âWu Shouliangâ and âMo Guifangâ!
Mo Shuihanâs foot, about to cross the threshold, faltered. His eyes shot wide, and he froze in place, utterly thunderstruck.
Fu Yi had been watching his reaction closely. Seeing this, his own heart began to race with a mixture of excitement and sorrow.
Mo Shuihan bit down hard on his trembling lip. He forced himself to stand straight, fighting to suppress the shudders racking his body, and turned to stare at Fu Yi. âThe Marquis invited me here to see these tablets. This is the âgiftâ you spoke of?â
Fu Yi stepped in front of him, looking down into his eyes. âThatâs right. Donât you want to know where so many memorial tablets came from, Prince Consort?â
Mo Shuihan secretly clenched his fists, but his face was a mask of indifference. âMarquis Fu has a peculiar hobby. I must admit, a collection of memorial tablets is quite surprising, but I have no interest in hearing your stories.â
He turned to leave, but Fu Yi blocked him with an outstretched arm. Mo Shuihan looked up. âWhat is the meaning of this, Marquis?â
Fu Yi gripped his shoulders and forcibly pulled him in front of the central tablets. âTake a look, Prince Consort. This ladyâs surname is also Mo. Perhaps you two were from the same family five hundred years ago. Are you truly not interested in why she died? The injustice she suffered? Or where her bones lie now?â
The tablets were so close, the names on them reflected clearly in Mo Shuihanâs eyes. He stared, his breathing ragged and his teeth chattering uncontrollably. A cry was trapped in his throat, threatening to burst out: MotherâŠ
âThis is my mother-in-law.â Fu Yi wouldnât let up, pointing to the tablet beside it. âAnd this gentleman is my father-in-law. But ten years ago, because of a rumor about a treasure from a previous dynasty, they, along with the entire town of over a thousand people, were all massacred in a single nightâŠâ
Mo Shuihanâs gaze was locked on his fatherâs memorial tablet. His mind was once again plunged into the blood-soaked terror of that night. A group of masked men in black had brutally slaughtered everyone in the town, young and old. His father, to protect the few children who were escaping, had held back the enemy, only to be dismembered by them. His mother had smashed her head against a wall. His nanny, to protect him, had been defiled and killedâŠ
The ground was littered with corpses, and the blood flowed like a river, turning the yellow earth into red mudâŠ
Fu Yi could feel the violent tremors shaking Mo Shuihanâs body. He felt a pang of pity but knew he had to force the truth out of him. The Left Minister was ruthless. Mo Shuihan had to be honest with him, to join forces with him!
A haunting voice continued in his ear, âDid you know? The ground was covered in bodies, so many of them mutilated beyond recognition. As I walked the streets, my shoes were soaked through with blood. But I just knew, among all those bodies, my fiancĂ©e was not one of them. She left. She left, carrying the weight of that hatredâŠâ
âStop talking!â Mo Shuihan violently threw off the arm restraining him and clapped his hands over his ears. âI donât want to hear this nonsense!â
Fu Yi forcefully pulled his hands down. âYou donât want to hear it, or you donât dare to? Prince Consort, what a coincidence that your surname is also Mo, and youâre about the same age as my fiancĂ©e. I wonder, where might your parents be?â
Mo Shuihan looked up, his eyes rimmed with red, and glared at Fu Yi. âWhy should I tell you something so pointless? Let go of me, Iâm leaving!â
Fu Yi spun him around, pointing at the dense rows of tablets. âOpen your eyes and look! Over a thousand lives, over a thousand memorial tablets, not a single one missing. They are all watching you. Prince Consort, can you truly remain unmoved?â
He pulled Mo Shuihan to a tablet on the side. âThis person, she used to sneak treats into my fiancĂ©eâs hands. Because of that, my fiancĂ©e even wanted to marry into her family when she was a little girl!â
He pointed to another. âAnd this one. When my fiancĂ©e and I accidentally fell into the water as children, he was the one who saved us. Oh, and this oneâŠâ
âStop, donât say any moreâŠâ Mo Shuihan was on the verge of a breakdown, shaking his head relentlessly.
Fu Yi grabbed him, his own eyes turning red. âWho are you? Is it so hard to be honest with me? I will help you with whatever you want to do. I have not forgotten the massacre of Qinghe Town for a single day. But the person I have thought of day and night, can she tell me, has she come back?â
Mo Shuihan shook his head, silent, his mind flooded with memories. Over a thousand lives, every single one of them deeply connected to him. How could he let an outsider avenge the thousand souls who had died so unjustly?
With a creak, the door was pushed open, and Princess Jiu walked in. She saw Fu Yi holding Mo Shuihan and, without taking in her surroundings, rushed forward and shoved the stunned Fu Yi away. âHow dare you! You dare to lay a hand on the Prince Consort!â
She turned to speak to Mo Shuihan, only to find him standing there dazed, his body slumped in a picture of desolation, his eyes filled with despair and devastation. The sight terrified her, and she quickly steadied him. âPrince Consort, whatâs wrong? Donât scare me!â
Mo Shuihan didnât speak. Princess Jiu whirled around and glared furiously at Fu Yi. âWhat did you do to my Prince Consort?â
Just after she spoke, she finally noticed the dense cluster of memorial tablets at the head of the hall. Bathed in the flickering candlelight, they looked eerie and terrifying. Princess Jiuâs anger flared. âYou audacious Fu Yi! You dare to harm the Prince Consort!â
Fu Yi wiped his face, collected himself, and reverted to his usual impassive expression. âI did not harm the Prince Consort. I just brought him here to talk.â
âYou need a place like this to talk?â Princess Jiu pointed angrily at the tablets. âIf my Prince Consort is frightened, Iâll have your head!â
She turned back to Mo Shuihan, gently patting his back and soothing him in a soft voice. âDonât be afraid, Prince Consort. Iâm here. No ghosts or spirits will dare come near you!â
In Princess Jiuâs mind, her Prince Consort was perfect in every way, except that he was a coward. He was surely scared of ghosts; why else would he have nightmares every night?
Princess Jiuâs interruption gradually pulled Mo Shuihan back from the memories of the past. He lowered his head and took several deep, shuddering breaths. When he looked up again, he cast a wary glance at Fu Yi, his voice still trembling. âPrincess, letâs go home.â
âYes, yes, weâll go home right now, and weâll never come back to this ghostly place again!â Princess Jiu quickly helped him toward the door.
From behind, Fu Yi saw that his steps were unsteady, that he needed the princessâs support just to walk. A wave of regret washed over him for being so rash, for pushing him so hard just to confirm his identity.
He thought for a moment and called out an explanation. âPrince Consort, please forgive my offense just now. But I hope you can understand my desperation. I have waited ten years for her. Every day and every night for ten years, I have thought of her. I both hope for her return and fear it, because her enemy has already laid an inescapable net, waiting to lure her in. I just want her to live, even if it means losing her!â
Mo Shuihanâs steps faltered for a moment, but he said nothing.
The moment they returned home, Mo Shuihan collapsed onto the couch. Princess Jiu jumped in fright. âPrince Consort!â
Mo Shuihan pushed her away, curling his body into a tight ball. âIâm fine,â he said weakly. âLeave me.â
Princess Jiu was too worried to leave him. That night, she tossed and turned in her own bed for a long time before getting up, dressing, and sneaking to the study. As expected, the moment she opened the door, she heard Mo Shuihan murmuring in his sleep. âFather⊠I wonât go⊠MotherâŠâ
The princess quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe his brow, then took his hand, patting it gently. âPrince Consort, donât be afraidâŠâ
It wasnât until the next morning that Mo Shuihan finally recovered. He sat up wearily and saw Princess Jiu, fast asleep, slumped over the edge of the bed. One of her hands was clutching his, the other propping up her head.
Mo Shuihan stared at their intertwined hands, then shifted his gaze to her face. This was the first time in ten years that someone had cared so completely for his well-being.
He gently smoothed her hair and sighed. When the secret is finally revealed, will you regret being so good to me today?
His thoughts inevitably turned back to the previous night. Fu Yi was right. The Left Minister would not give up on the treasure. He hadn’t noticed yet only because he never imagined that he would disguise himself as a man. Now both Fu Yi and Xiao Heng suspected his identity. After last night, Fu Yi was surely certain. It wouldn’t be long before the Left Minister found out as well. Time was running out. He had to speed up his plans!
But what about Fu Yi? What was his purpose in testing him? Was it truly out of their childhood friendship? Or was he also after the treasure?
Too much time had passed. No matter how close they had been as children, that was all in the past. After ten years without contact, Mo Shuihan could no longer trust Fu Yi.
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