Chapter 1209 – The Death of Zhao Shao (Seven)
Han Yu’s expression was dim as he succinctly explained the current situation.
“The Lord he…”
Xie Ze’s eyes turned red, mist forming within them, choking on his words and unable to speak fully.
If he weren’t bound up like a mummy with bandages, lacking any strength, he would probably jump up and cry.
“Fate, fortune, and destiny.” Han Yu let out a bitter laugh, “All we can do is do our part and leave the rest to fate—”
Xie Ze was indeed related to Li Yun, and both shared angelic dispositions.
He was quick to concern himself with Han Yu’s predicament.
“What about you, sir?”
Given that Han Yu could move freely in and out of the camp while his lord had already kicked the bucket, Han Yu’s stance was quite clear.
“Yu has accepted the invitation of Duke Lan Ting and willingly become his subordinate.”
Han Yu did not shy away from the truth.
Had Cheng Xun heard this, he would likely draw his sword in anger or at the very least, curse him out.
But Xie Ze’s reaction was different; his brows knitted with regret, yet he felt relieved for Han Yu.
With Han Yu having betrayed Jiang Pengji, it meant the enemy would no longer trouble him, and Han Yu’s life was safe.
“The victor is king, and the defeated are bandits; conflicts have always been brutal. Your choice is understandable—” Xie Ze thought of Xu Pei’s family, a warm smile gracing his lips, “With the Lord gone, his family and women have no protection left. Now that you’ve sided with Duke Lan Ting, I’m sure he won’t be unreasonable with the Lord’s kin. Not only can’t he persecute them, but he must also take care of them… The Lord’s children are still young; they shouldn’t hinder her. If you put in some effort to teach them well… When they grow up, they will surely uphold their family’s legacy and bring glory back. If so, the Lord will surely be comforted in the afterlife, right…”
Xie Ze was not binding morals here; he genuinely cared for Han Yu. As Xu Pei’s former subordinate, that label would stick with him for life. Bowing to Jiang Pengji, whether he wanted to or not, meant he had to look after Xu Pei’s family to avoid attracting public criticism and accusations of being heartless.
Of course, Xie Ze’s concerns were unnecessary since Han Yu had already promised Xu Pei.
Even so, Xie Ze’s good intentions warmed Han Yu’s heart.
“Yu knows—” Han Yu shifted the topic directly, posing a question to Xie Ze, “Have you considered your own circumstances?”
Xie Ze was heavily injured and captured, bound up tightly like a mummy.
He had returned from the gates of hell; surely, he didn’t want to crawl back!
Xie Ze should consider his own situation.
Han Yu’s question left Xie Ze momentarily stunned; he gazed blankly at the tent’s ceiling, falling silent for a while.
“Are you here to persuade me to yield?”
Han Yu nodded in acknowledgment.
Xie Ze was straightforward, so if Han Yu were to scheme against him, it would weigh heavily on his conscience.
“Duke Lan Ting is quite open-hearted and broad-minded,” Xie Ze smirked despite the situation, a hint of bitterness in his smile.
That day during the night raid, with intentions to take Jiang Pengji’s life, a slip from Li Yun caused him to reveal her identity. Xie Ze gambled everything to ambush her, and unexpectedly, she did not take his life or disgrace him, instead indicating to Han Yu to recruit him—
Xie Ze asked, “Do you believe I should yield?”
“Yu cannot decide for you; whether to yield or not depends entirely on your choice,” Han Yu added, “I’ve heard that you are a cousin of Li Yun, and you come from the illustrious Xie family. Even if you don’t wish to yield, she will not make things difficult for you.”
Unbeknownst to him, Han Yu’s words were like a bombshell that left Xie Ze dumbfounded.
His round, bright eyes filled with shock.
“What cousin?”
Xie Ze was so startled he almost aggravated his wound; don’t scare him like that!
Seeing Xie Ze’s reaction confirmed to Han Yu that he truly had no idea, but Jiang Pengji wouldn’t lie.
Thus—
Han Yu calmly stated, “Earlier, Duke Lan Ting mentioned that Li Yun’s father is the direct descendant of the Xie family’s previous generation; you two are cousins.”
Xie Ze’s eyes widened, appearing even more mummy-like.
“How, how is that possible—”
Xie Ze mumbled, his expression one of pure shock.
Han Yu pressed on, “What’s impossible?”
It took Xie Ze a moment to regain his senses; he smiled bitterly, “You must have heard something about it, right? The Xie family has been increasingly low-key due to something that happened over twenty years ago, rarely participating in politics, with most of their children holding idle posts—”
Han Yu nodded, “I’ve heard whispers of it.”
Though he wasn’t from a prominent family, he had connections; before Dongqing’s downfall, the Han family was related by marriage to the Duke of the North, who held military power in Dongqing. He had certainly heard of the Xie family’s gossip, but he did not know the reason behind their sudden withdrawal.
Could it be that this hidden secret relates to Li Yun’s father?
Xie Ze said, “The details are inconvenient to disclose, but that incident involved the previous generation’s heir, Xie Qian—”
Xie Qian?
Though a figure from the last generation, he was quite the sensation in his youth; Han Yu’s mother was one of his many fans.
He naturally had heard of Xie Qian and had even researched his background.
“I’ve heard he died young, but afterward he was excluded from the Xie family for undisclosed reasons—”
Xie Ze continued, “Officially, it was said he died young, but Grandpa and Father don’t believe Uncle passed away that way. When a person dies, you must see their body. Grandpa and the others sent people to search the foot of the cliff many times after Uncle jumped, yet they found not even a bone.”
This secret had never been made public, but Xie Ze’s grandfather still believed his eldest son, Xie Qian, was alive.
Suddenly, Han Yu understood and asked, “Are you suspecting that Li Yun’s father is none other than the long-lost Xie Qian?”
Xie Ze blinked vigorously.
Since he couldn’t move a muscle, he could only nod with his eyes.
“Yes, that possibility is extremely high.” As he spoke, various clues began to connect in his mind, growing more certain with each word, “Li Yun’s martial arts are unmistakably of the Xie family’s lineage. Even if he had extraordinary talents, it wouldn’t be possible to reach such a high level of skill without at least a decade of hard work. Furthermore—Uncle Xie Qian went missing alongside his infant son. Judging by the age, Li Yun fits right in. His appearance is also strikingly similar to Uncle’s portraits from his youth—”
Han Yu laughed wryly, “What a peculiar twist of fate.”
Xie Ze had fought fiercely with Li Yun on the battlefield; had either of them faltered, they could have truly met their end at each other’s hands.
Judging by Jiang Pengji’s previous attitude, it was evident Li Yun had known of his connection to Xie Ze from the beginning.
Xie Ze earnestly requested Han Yu, “Sir, can I meet Li Yun privately? There are some matters that should be verified with him.”
Han Yu replied, “We can give it a try.”
“Thank you.”
Han Yu didn’t pry into whether Xie Ze would yield, for regardless of his choice, at least his life was secured.
