Early the next morning, Tu Ling Chen discovered his father’s cold body in his room.
Duke Tu Ling Tuo was simply sitting in his chair, his expression extremely calm, without any anger, without any remaining grievance.
This military’s supreme commander who had commanded the wind and summoned the rain in the Fury Wave Kingdom, this fierce hero of the kingdom, had quietly ended his life in a desolate night.
Perhaps he had had many reveries, perhaps he had had many ambitions.
His defection against the king back then had formally set off the trend of reducing the king to a figurehead, delivering a fatal blow to the king.
Do not look at how the nobles represented by Tu Ling Tuo had once so supported Zhi Li on the surface. But once Zhi Li ascended the throne as king, they would continue to reduce him to a figurehead, and gradually evolve into true warlord separatism.
And the Tu Ling family was that greatest warlord. By then, truly plotting to usurp the throne was possible.
Duke Tu Ling Tuo had previously fought tooth and nail to be promoted to kingly rank, because as long as he was enfeoffed as king, it raised the starting point for plotting to usurp the throne. In Tu Ling Tuo’s dreams, he had more than once ascended the throne as king and ruled the world.
But now all ambitions had been blown away by wind and rain, transformed into a dream of millet.
Tu Ling Chen knelt before his father’s knees and let out silent sobs.
He had long had a premonition of his father’s suicide, and had not even spoken out to stop him.
But when it truly happened, it was as if the heavens had collapsed. He felt as if he had become an orphan, without any sense of security.
Father Tu Ling Tuo valued males over females, and legitimate children over illegitimate ones. So, he was very cold towards Tu Ling Duo, and even more resolute towards Fen Mo.
But towards him, Tu Ling Chen, father was completely meticulous in his care, pouring all his strength into his upbringing.
In his youth, Tu Ling Chen had been able to be so unrestrained and uninhibited, regarding noble titles as dung and wealth and honour as passing clouds.
It was because he possessed endless wealth and honour, because shortly after his birth he had become the heir of the Tu Ling family.
Tu Ling Chen left the Tu Ling family at a young age, wandering everywhere, not touching any family affairs.
That was because father Duke Tu Ling Tuo had long said, reading ten thousand books is not as good as travelling ten thousand li. Duke Tu Ling Tuo had the ability to shield the family from wind and rain, allowing Tu Ling Chen to enjoy himself in peace until the age of thirty.
So, Tu Ling Chen’s unrestrained and uninhibited nature, his regarding power and wealth as dung, was not because he was indifferent to fame and fortune. More so, it was a kind of affectation.
Because he already possessed, was currently possessing, and was destined to always possess, that was why he could regard it as dung.
Father Tu Ling Tuo had always been the pillar supporting the heavens of the family, and had always been Tu Ling Chen’s protector god.
Now, this great mountain had fallen, this protector god had perished.
Tu Ling Chen only felt boundless emptiness around him, as if he stood alone between heaven and earth, without any support, enduring wind and rain.
He picked up the letter on the table. This was the final letter Tu Ling Tuo had left for his son!
1: My son Tu Ling Chen, your father has gone. The Tu Ling family is entrusted to you.
2: By all means draw a clear line with Zhi Li and Tu Ling Duo. These two madmen are destined to die without burial.
3: Do not hate Suo Lun. By all means do not hate Suo Lun. He has been lenient enough towards me, and even lenient enough towards the Tu Ling family.
4: With my death, let all grievances and enmities vanish like smoke and clouds. Suo Lun will no longer harbour any prejudice against you in his heart. Go and pledge loyalty to Suo Lun. No matter what price you pay, go and pledge loyalty to Suo Lun. And in the future, even if Suo Lun encounters some calamity, stand by his side.
5: I already know about your inability to perform as a man! But do not worry. One day Suo Lun will certainly completely forgive you and let you recover as normal.
This was Duke Tu Ling Tuo. Even his final letter was so clear and explicit, without any sentimentality.
Tu Ling Chen held the letter and finally could no longer control himself. Tears rained down, and he wept until his entire body trembled and convulsed!
An hour later!
Suo Lun sent a eunuch to proclaim a decree, reprimanding the Tu Ling family for being blinded by Zhi Li and committing a great error, stripping Tu Ling Tuo of all positions, and reducing the ducal title to count.
Tu Ling Chen received the decree, then donned hemp and wore mourning, leading the Tu Ling family warriors into Wind Thunder Fortress to completely kneel and pledge loyalty to Suo Lun!
Suo Lun accepted Tu Ling Chen’s loyalty, and accompanied Princess Zhi Yan to personally go to Bai Yun Commandery City to mourn Duke Tu Ling Tuo!
Princess Zhi Yan personally composed the eulogy, fully affirming Tu Ling Tuo’s lifetime achievements, and also pointing out the errors he committed in life.
Finally, Tu Ling Tuo was judged to have merits and demerits that cancelled each other out.
This was the final verdict!
……
Last night after Zhi Li finished his business, he hurriedly rode a griffin to the southern border city.
This morning, he personally received the wandering warriors who had been hunting barbarians in the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, fully affirming their contributions to the Fury Wave Kingdom.
Not only that, Zhi Li repeatedly expressed his intention to recruit them.
These wandering warriors had lost their master, lost their manors and fields. Hearing Zhi Li’s recruitment, they were instantly incomparably excited.
That’s right, although Zhi Li had failed in the battle for the throne. But to these wandering warriors, he was still an unattainable top-ranking noble, the best master.
Even if they followed him to the Yan Empire to establish a government in exile, they would still have power and influence. In the future when he returned as king, these warriors who had pledged loyalty to him would transform into the kingdom’s new nobles.
But unexpectedly, in the evening, Prime Minister Yan Wu Ji rode a griffin to the southern border city, informing Zhi Li of an earth-shaking piece of news: the king had died, a kingdom could not be without a ruler for a single day, and he requested Lord Zhi Li to return to the royal capital and ascend the throne as king!
Upon hearing the news of the king’s death, Zhi Li was as if struck by lightning. After a long while, a mouthful of blood violently spewed forth. He let out a great cry and fell backwards in a faint.
Thus, Zhi Li’s trusted warriors quickly helped him onto the griffin beast’s back, following Prime Minister Yan Wu Ji to return to the royal capital at the greatest speed!
……
The royal capital Zhi Du had completely fallen into chaos.
The king had died, and the people wore white mourning.
Last night, the sounds of fighting from the direction of the royal palace had almost spread throughout the entire royal capital.
As long as one was not brain-dead, one clearly knew who had assassinated the king.
The civil and military high officials remaining in the royal capital split into two camps.
One camp was in league with Zhi Li, firmly believing that the king had already died long ago, and last night’s assassination was merely a play. The despicable and shameless Suo Lun wanted to use the king’s death to pin the crime of regicide on Zhi Li.
Not only that, the one who truly intended to usurp the throne was Suo Lun!
After winning this great decisive battle, those shameless nobles and generals repeatedly called Suo Lun “Your Majesty,” only kneeling to Suo Lun and not to Zhi Yan.
And the other camp completely insisted that Zhi Li had gone mad and assassinated the king!
The two camps were evenly matched, confronting each other head-on!
The high official camp supporting Zhi Li all gathered at Zhi Li’s Young Lord’s residence, making plans and offering strategies for Zhi Li’s great cause of ascending the throne.
And the high official camp supporting Zhi Yan gathered at the princess’s residence, their numbers far exceeding those of the officials supporting Zhi Li.
Of course, these officials supported Princess Zhi Yan not because they had conscience, but because they did not have a favourable outlook for Zhi Li.
Zhi Li had already gone mad to the point of assassinating the king and forcibly ascending the throne. Did he truly take everyone for fools? Did he think that by pretending to be at the southern border city he could completely wash his hands of the great crime of regicide? And what was this about Suo Lun staging a play and pinning the blame on his, Zhi Li’s, head? Why didn’t you say it was Suo Lun who assassinated the king?
Truly, when heaven wishes to destroy a person, it first drives them mad.
You forcibly call a deer a horse and reverse black and white like this. Do you truly take us for fools? When you were at the height of your power, we would play the fool. But now that you are already in imminent peril, you still want to treat us as fools?
Although the officials supporting Zhi Yan were numerous, they were a dragon without a head. Because Suo Lun was not present, and Zhi Yan was not present either!
Thus, these high officials turned their gazes towards Duke Zhi Ting.
With Suo Lun and Zhi Yan both absent, the highest leader remaining in the royal capital naturally became Duke Zhi Ting.
But at this moment, Duke Zhi Ting still kept his residence doors tightly shut, not showing his face.
Once Zhi Ting showed his face, he would instantly unite the high officials opposing Zhi Li into a tremendous force.
……
“Duke Zhi Ting cannot appear at the princess’s residence.” Tu Ling Duo said resolutely, “Now there are many officials opposing Lord Zhi Li’s ascension, but they are a dragon without a head. However, once Zhi Ting takes the lead, this group of people will coalesce into a tremendous force, and Lord Zhi Li’s ascension will no longer be possible!”
Everyone knew this reasoning, but with Gao Yin and the imperial guards’ great commander Hei Ning Qi’s protection, who could do anything to Duke Zhi Ting?
Tu Ling Duo said, “There is no other way. Go chop off one of Suo Lun’s son’s hands and send it to Duke Zhi Ting’s residence.”
The moment these words were spoken, everyone shuddered violently.
Suo Lun and Zhi Ning’s son was only one year old! For a one-year-old infant, could you truly bring yourself to do it?
Tu Ling Duo had not slept for several days and nights, but she showed no fatigue. Instead she appeared incomparably excited, her eyes red as she said, “Now there is no other way. Only with such bloody and resolute means can we intimidate Duke Zhi Ting.”
Everyone fell silent as cicadas in winter, not daring to respond.
That was Suo Lun’s son. If you dared to harm him, Suo Lun would guarantee to exterminate your nine clans.
“The situation is now in imminent peril, yet you all shrink back so timidly. You are unworthy to be called men.” Tu Ling Duo said, “I will go myself!”
Then, under the protection of several Demon Continent experts, she headed towards the high tower in the Zhi Du Sacred Hall where Zhi Ning and her child were imprisoned.
Outside the high tower, she was blocked by several Sacred Hall acolytes.
“I am Lord Zhi Li’s woman. Can I not enter either?” Tu Ling Duo said angrily.
“My apologies. Apart from Lord Zhi Li, no one may enter.” The Sacred Hall acolyte said.
Tu Ling Duo said, “But the situation is now critical. There are too many people opposing Lord Zhi Li’s ascension, but they are a dragon without a head. Once Zhi Ting steps forward and leads the ministers to oppose Lord Zhi Li, the situation will be beyond redemption.”
The moment these words were spoken, the Sacred Hall acolyte’s face could not help but twitch.
They were not as detached as the other top levels of the Divine Dragon Sacred Hall. Their fates were already completely bound to Zhi Li’s.
“Madam Tu Ling Duo, what do you intend to do?” The Sacred Hall acolyte said.
Tu Ling Duo said, “Chop off one of Suo Lun’s son’s arms and send it to Duke Zhi Ting’s residence to intimidate him from stepping forward.”
Instantly, the Sacred Hall acolyte guarding the tower gate shuddered.
“I will go report to the High Sacrificer.” This Sacred Hall acolyte said.
The High Sacrificer he spoke of was the one who was already completely bound to Zhi Li, almost sharing life and death.
A quarter of an hour later, this Sacred Hall acolyte returned. He did not speak, but silently opened the high tower’s great gate.
Everything was understood without words. That High Sacrificer had tacitly approved Tu Ling Duo’s plan. They had long since been beyond worldly concerns and would not place a child’s life in their eyes.
When this Sacred Hall acolyte passed by Fu Ling Xi’s castle, for some reason he took it upon himself to also report to Fu Ling Xi.
But Fu Ling Xi had been sitting in meditation the entire time, not hearing his words, and making no response whatsoever!
And so, Tu Ling Duo entered the secret chamber and once again saw Fang Qing Zhuo and Zhi Ning with her child.
At this moment, the baby was sleeping, sucking on his small hand while sleeping, making smacking sounds.
Normally, Zhi Ning did not allow the baby to suck his hand, but now she did not stop him.
“Ladies, I have come to take one of the baby’s hands.” Tu Ling Duo said indifferently, “My heart aches for him. Princess Zhi Ning, please choose. Shall I take the baby’s left hand, or the baby’s right hand? Is he left-handed?”
The moment these words were spoken, Princess Zhi Ning’s hair stood on end.
Fang Qing Zhuo immediately shielded Zhi Ning and her child behind her, and asked in a cold voice, “Where is Zhi Li?”
“His Highness is not present.” Tu Ling Duo said, “Now there are too many people opposing Lord Zhi Li’s ascension, but they are a dragon without a head. They are currently inviting Zhi Ting to come out of retirement. Once someone takes the lead to oppose Lord Zhi Li’s ascension, the consequences will be unimaginable. So I want to use one of Suo Lun’s son’s hands to intimidate Duke Zhi Ting!”
“No, no……” Fang Qing Zhuo said, “You do not need to do this. You only need to bring Duke Zhi Ting here, then threaten him with Suo Lun’s son’s life in your hands, and he would not dare to disobey. There is no need for such bloodshed.”
“No, critical moments require such bloodshed.” Tu Ling Duo said, her gaze revealing bloodthirsty madness.
Fang Qing Zhuo suddenly understood.
Tu Ling Duo was already at the edge of madness, and this madness referred to a neurological disorder.
Tu Ling Duo, who had not slept for several days and nights, had already completely lost her mind. She could not take revenge on Suo Lun, so she wanted to use every possible means to take revenge on Suo Lun’s son.
She wanted to chop off one of Suo Lun’s son’s hands, not at all for Zhi Li’s sake, but to vent her own fury.
If Fang Qing Zhuo still had her martial arts at this moment, she would certainly not hesitate to kill Tu Ling Duo before her.
But she could not do it. The vital meridians on her body had been sealed, and her dragon power could not be released. Moreover, at fixed times every day, she was fed drugs that paralysed her body. At this moment she was completely powerless, unable to bind a chicken.
Not to mention that behind Tu Ling Duo followed two Sacred Hall acolytes with superlative martial arts.
So killing Tu Ling Duo was impossible, and there was not even an opportunity to make a move.
“Fang Qing Zhuo, the reason I have lost my reputation and standing is all your fault!” Tu Ling Duo suddenly pointed at Fang Qing Zhuo and said, “On the night of Lord Zhi Li and Tu Ling Mo’s wedding night, if you had not forcefully inserted yourself, Lord Zhi Li and I would have committed adultery in the bridal chamber. Sisters serving him together, so why would I have returned to my own room, only to be discovered by Tu Li Yang? Everything is your fault!”
“Slap……” Tu Ling Duo fiercely delivered a slap, striking Fang Qing Zhuo’s face.
Fang Qing Zhuo, who had lost her martial arts, was directly sent flying, fiercely falling to the ground, blood flowing from the corner of her mouth.
Fang Qing Zhuo sat up from the ground and said softly, “Right, everything is my fault! If you want to vent your fury, if you want revenge, come at me. No matter what you do to me, I will accept it. But please do not harm the baby. He is only one year old!”
“One year old? Truly innocent, truly pitiful.” Tu Ling Duo grinned hideously, “But no one in this world is innocent. Who told him to be Suo Lun’s son? Fang Qing Zhuo, I hate you, but not one tenth, not one hundredth of the hatred I feel for Suo Lun!”
Then, she slowly walked towards Zhi Ning and her child, revealing a charming smile towards Zhi Ning and saying, “Zhi Ning, which hand shall the baby keep? You should make your choice. Left hand or right hand?”
Zhi Ning quietly looked at Tu Ling Duo, then silently and noiselessly knelt before her and said, “I am Suo Lun’s woman. If I kneel to you, can it make your heart feel a little better?”
“It can. My heart feels very pleased right now.” Tu Ling Duo said, “However, bloodily taking revenge on Suo Lun will only make me feel even more pleased! Zhi Ning, you should make your choice. Left hand or right hand? I will count down from three. Once the countdown ends, if you have not made your choice, then both hands will be gone!”
“Three!”
“Two!”
“One!”