Chapter 77

Zong Zi Heng watched as Shen Shi Yao disposed of the pot of Cymbidium orchids, just frozen in place not knowing what to do.

Just like the day he found out that his uncle had died, it was as if Jiuzhou had fallen before him and there was nothing he could do about it.

What could he do with his own father and mother?

But he had to stop them, no matter what the cost is, he could not let more people be killed!

Zong Zi Heng stopped in front of his mother who was planning to leave, staring hard as he asked word by word, "What are you thinking of doing?"

Shen Shi Yao gathered her hair at her temples, "I'm a bit tired, I'm taking a nap."

"I'm asking you what you want to do next." Zong Zi Heng gritted his teeth and said, "If you dare to hurt Xiao Jiu ..."

"As long as you are the Human Emperor, he will still be your good brother." Shen Shi Yao laughed mockingly, "Otherwise, what can you do?" She pushed Zong Zi Heng away and walked confidently outside.

Zong Zi Heng's brain burst into flames. He tugged on Shen Shi Yao's arm and fell to his knees with a heavy thud, and said in a hoarse voice, "Mother, Zi Xiao is my closest brother. No matter what grudges you have with Father and Empress, he is innocent. If you harm him, I will offer my life as an apology, I will do what I say."

Shen Shi Yao glared fiercely at Zong Zi Heng and gritted her teeth, "You… such a soft-hearted person. How can you achieve greatness?!”

"To achieve greatness, do we have to fight each other and lose our conscience?!" Zong Zi Heng growled, "If you dare to touch Zi Xiao, I will suffer on behalf of mother and pay for the sins you have committed with my death!"

Shen Shi Yao was so angry that her body trembled. She cupped Zong Zi Heng's chin with one hand and her voice was stern, "My son, how can you be so kind-hearted and soft-hearted? The one who eats meat seeks to kill you. Are you willing to be a lamb?"

"To go against the Dao of one's heart, by seeking fame and profit by any means. What is the Dao of your heart?"

She kicked Zong Zi Heng away, "Rubbish!"

Zong Zi Heng sat on the ground, his whole body cold and stiff, as if he had died once --- his heart had been subjected to a long and protracted torture since the beginning of the Jiaolong assembly, and every stab came from his own blood relatives.

He felt the urge to run away, to drop everything, to escape from this opulent hell, to escape from the people closest to him yet who frightened him the most. The sky is high and the sea is broad. A few steps outside will be the freedom he longed for. Yet his hands and feet were bound and his mouth covered, and he looked at the light leaking in through the gap and just watched.

Outside the door came the familiar voice of Zong Zi Xiao, cheerfully calling out "Big Brother" as if he never knew what sorrow was.

When Zong Zi Xiao entered the house, he ran into Zong Zi Heng getting up from the floor and trying to straighten his wrinkled lapels.

"... Big brother, what's wrong?" Zong Zi Xiao walked over with a few steps, "Are you, are you crying again? Is it because of Consort Shen?"

Zong Zi Heng tried in vain to hide his wretched face, "What are you doing here?"

"Big brother, what exactly is wrong with you?" Zong Zi Xiao said in annoyance, "What did she say about you? Did you guys have a fight? Why?"

"Don't ask."

"Why did you have a lot of things going on in your mind all day and you don't tell me anything? Tell me, I can share your worries."

"What kind of worries can you share?" Zong Zi Heng let out a low growl.

Zong Zi Xiao froze.

Zong Zi Heng wiped his face, "You stay out of the adults' business."

Zong Zi Xiao gritted his teeth, "Is it because of me?"

"... Who did you listen to?"

"Do I still need to listen specifically to who said what?" Zong Zi Xiao's thin lips pursed slightly, "I know that no one is willing to let me get the sword forged by the Shen Nong Ding, and neither is Consort Shen." He looked at Zong Zi Heng with clear eyes, "Could it be that big brother is unwilling too?"

"No, it has nothing to do with the sword." Zong Zi Heng turned his back wearily, "Please go back if you have nothing to discuss about, I’m tired.”

"Don't you ever muddle through me like that again!" Zong Zi Xiao said angrily, "You are hiding everything from me and becoming colder and more distant towards me. Do you think I can't feel it? Why are you treating me like this? What have I done wrong? We used to be close. Why are you treating me like this now?!"

Zong Zi Heng frowned in pain, "Big brother didn't ... I just ..."

"You don't want me to be the Human Emperor. You don't want me to get the sword forged by Shen Nong Ding. I will listen to you." Zong Zi Xiao's gaze was as calm and deep as the sea, "Whether it's the throne, or the divine sword, I can give you anything."

"Xiao Jiu, that's not what Big Brother meant." Zong Zi Heng felt his mouth go dry. He was hiding too many secrets that he simply couldn't explain, and perhaps, there was no need to explain.

Zong Zi Xiao reached out and wiped his fingertips across his big brother's thin, reddish eyelids, "I just want big brother to be happy."

Zong Zi Heng's heart was touched blatantly.

At that moment, a chamberlain ran in in a hurry, "Your Highness, Your Highness, something bad is happening."

Zong Zi Heng's heart tightened: "What's wrong?"

"You should quickly go to the Orchid Garden and take a look!"

The two of them ran quickly towards the Orchid Garden.

The plants that had been dormant all winter had begun to sprout, but the weather was not warm enough and they were at their most fragile moment. Year after year, Zong Zi Heng had cared for and protected them, hoping they’ll blossom again.

But now, they have been uprooted one by one, their precious rootstocks were exposed one after the other in the dry and cold air, like the feet of dead but not stiff insects, still struggling feebly. New green shoots crushed into the soil, turquoise blood flowed like a river.

Shen Shi Yao stood in front of the flowerbed. She was born soft and dignified, yet she looked like a devil who slaughtered in all directions.

Zong Zi Heng was like being frozen in ice.

"Stop!" Zong Zi Xiao roared violently.

The palace people who were digging into the ground shrank back.

Shen Shi Yao said coldly, "Keep digging, dig out all the roots, leave no plant behind."

"Are you crazy?!" Zong Zi Xiao had long since left his manners behind as he unsheathed his sword and said in a fierce voice, "Who dares to touch my big brother's flowers, I'll chop off your hand!"

Shen Shi Yao raised her chin and her pupils were bottomless: "Dig."

Zong Zi Xiao was about to go up with his sword, but he was yanked by a deadly force.

"... Big brother?"

Zong Zi Heng stared deadly at his mother. The image before him was not really the garden he had painstakingly cultivated for ten years being destroyed, but his mother's gentle soothing and attentive care of him when he was small. Their dependence on each other in the cold and merciless harem, all those thousands of good things, twenty years of mother-son love, being torn to pieces one by one by a cold shovel.

He continued watching, watching the hundreds of orchids he had collected from all over the world and spent countless hours caring for, being torn apart, ravaged and trampled on. He heard the cold cry of desolation, but did not know who was crying.

"Big brother, are you just going to let them dig?" Zong Zi Xiao said urgently.

Zong Zi Heng gripped his brother's wrist hard, as motionless as a clay statue.

He had watched his Orchid Garden be destroyed with his own eyes.

Shen Shi Yao slowly walked up to them as she gazed at her son, "You shouldn't have too many attachments in your heart."

"Have you gone mad?" Zong Zi Xiao cursed angrily, "What has big brother done wrong for you to punish him like this? Do you know that these flowers are big brother's ten years of hard work!?"

Shen Shi Yao gave Zong Zi Xiao a sorrowful glance and gave a specious smile as she turned and walked away.

When everyone had withdrawn from the Orchid Garden, Zong Zi Heng's knees went weak and he fell to the ground.

"Big brother." Zong Zi Xiao looked at his big brother being completely disheartened, and his heart ached like a twinge. He choked out, "Big brother, let's replant them. Some of them are still alive. Let's replant them, okay?"

Zong Zi Heng did not say a word, did not move, his eyes were bleak.

A spring rain, at the right time, slashed down, scattering silver in the heavens, dazzling and streaking, like a funeral for the flowers.

Zong Zi Heng's tears mixed with the rain and slipped silently down.

Zong Zi Xiao knelt on the ground and hugged Zong Zi Heng, crying, "Big brother, big brother." He only knew how to call out for big brother, but did not know how to comfort his already heartbroken big brother.

Zong Zi Heng hugged his brother tightly into his arms, like a drowning man hugging driftwood, or a man freezing to death hugging a heater, he hugged the only person in the world who really cared about him, like he was embracing a reason to live --- even if it was the only reason, and cried silently and painfully.

Perhaps they were right. Only by being the Human Emperor could one protect all the things one wanted to protect.

----

PS: *hugs big brother*. He doesn't deserve all this sh*ts

 

Edited on 3 Apr. 21 (Emzie)

 

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