Jinting Han people

Chapter 176 Who is the Madman (5k)

Of course, Lu Zhu's words were lies. She had no idea that Sun Xiu would launch a surprise attack on Xia Yang that day, nor did she prepare arsenic in her room. Moreover, the tea was brewed under Sun Xiu's nose, so how could she possibly add arsenic?
But this still frightened Sun Xiu terribly. He took it seriously, thinking that the green salt Lu Zhu had just sprinkled was arsenic. He immediately threw away the tea in his bowl and scratched his throat, retching. As a result, he vomited up all the wine and meat he had eaten at the inn that night.

When he finished vomiting and stood up, he saw Luzhu standing beside him with a smile, as if admiring the ugly appearance of his vomiting. Then he suddenly understood everything.

Sun Xiu was immediately furious. No matter how ugly he usually acted, for so many years, he was the only one who teased others, and no one could tease him.

Even if Liu Xian was so stubborn, he still had to be extremely cautious. He had never expected that today, at such a proud moment, he would be teased by a woman, which made him feel angry and resentful for the first time in his life.

So the first thing he said was, "Bitch! Are you looking for death?!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Luzhu picked up the teapot and poured out the remaining hot tea in one breath, splashing it onto Sun Xiu's face.

Sun Xiu only had time to subconsciously stretch out his hand to block it, but a lot of tea still splashed onto his face, hands, and neck. The scorching temperature instantly penetrated Sun Xiu's defense, causing him to tremble all over and cover his face and wail.

Two of the believers who had followed him into the courtyard heard Sun Xiu's wailing and immediately rushed into the house. Unexpectedly, after taking a few steps, they were immediately stopped by Sun Xiu, "Stop! Don't come over!"

It turned out that after this brief wailing, Luzhu pulled out the sword hanging on the wall at an extremely fast speed. Before Sun Xiu realized what happened, the shining white sword tip was directly placed on Sun Xiu's neck, stopping Sun Xiu's wailing.

When Sun Xiu realized what was happening, he was afraid that Lu Zhu would die with him, so he told the believers to stop.

The sound outside the house stopped, and under the stimulation of the cold sword tip, the pain of the burn seemed to be stimulated all at once.

It was quite funny to say, but Sun Xiu had never dreamed that he would have a sword at his neck twice in this house. The first time was by Liu Xian, and the second time was by Lu Zhu. And this time, it seemed even closer to death than the last time.

In this situation, Sun Xiu's anger immediately dissipated, and his usual funny clown appearance returned. He pretended to be frightened, shrank down, and almost knelt on the ground, and advised Lu Zhu:

"Miss Luzhu, why are you so angry? Everyone outside is my people. If you kill me, you won't survive either. Why bother?"

Lu Zhu lowered the tip of her sword, looked at him with a half-smile, and said, "If I don't kill Sun Changshi, will I be able to survive?"

"How could it be?" Sun Xiu was also desperate, and all kinds of nonsense came out, "I really love Miss Luzhu. Ever since my first wife passed away, I have never thought of marrying again. Ever since I saw the girl, I have lost my appetite and just want to ask for the betrothal gift in a proper way and take the girl home as my second wife!"

"That's a pity. I don't like Sun Changshi."

"Okay, okay, girl, put the sword away and I'll leave now, okay?"

"Sun Changshi thinks I'm a fool?"

"I'm the fool! I'm the fool!" Sun Xiu laughed at himself for a moment, then said seriously, "I couldn't even see that the girl had lost her mind and loved Liu Huai to such an extent."

"You said I was crazy?"

Isn't it? Sun Xiu swallowed these words in his stomach. He thought to himself that he had indeed made a very stupid mistake, actually expecting women to be rational.

Alas, he'd known this all along. Women are simply emotional creatures. Once embraced by a handsome man, they'll abandon everything and follow him wholeheartedly, only to be manipulated and deceived by him. A woman's life is truly shameless and useless!
They only care about looks and can't tell the true difference between men. If you have an unattractive face, you are doomed to fail in the love field, which is something you should never hope for.

Even so, this woman was a bit too stupid. How could a smart person deal with a stupid person?

Fortunately, Sun Xiu is an extraordinarily intelligent man. As one of the only four great priests left in the Taoist school today, he is an enlightened person who can enlighten fools.

Even though he was in such an awkward situation, Sun Xiu was able to be patient and discuss the pros and cons with Lu Zhu.

"Isn't it? If the girl really loves Liu Huai Chong, she should know that killing me is the real harm to him."

"I'm the Chief Clerk of the King of Zhao, Liu Huaichong's superior. If you kill me, wouldn't that just confirm his high treason? And if you die, he won't be able to escape, and neither will his family in Luoyang."

"Guess what, by then, in the afterlife, will Liu Huai Chong love you or hate you?"

Sun Xiu felt that his words were truly heartbreaking. Although people often say that love cannot be measured, in reality, life is a process of countless measurements that wear away emotions and excitement, gradually turning us numb.

After all, Lu Zhu was only a concubine, someone else's concubine. To put it bluntly, she was just a whore. In those days, what was the difference between her and a prostitute? She had no status, and she was not worthy of respect. How could she measure her own weight?

Sun Xiu's hint already concealed the answer: as the old saying goes, if you want to live a happy life, you must find your place. A beggar knows that he is a beggar, so he will be happy. A whore can only find true liberation if she thinks of herself as a whore.

The world constantly makes people breathe in dust, and everyone lives with dust. Therefore, there is no such thing as pure and spotless in the world. Trying to be pure will only drive people crazy.

But when he looked up at Luzhu's expression, he could not help but feel disappointed. Luzhu was indeed shaken at first, but soon a smile appeared in her eyes, as if Sun Xiu had mentioned something that made her very happy and proud, and she could not help herself.

Lu Zhu slightly restrained her gaze and continued, "So I said, Sun Changshi doesn't understand my husband at all."

"Ok?"

"I just said that his visit to Jingu Garden had nothing to do with His Royal Highness the Prince of Chu. This is true."

"what?!"

"He just found some friends I didn't know, and out of a moment of pity, he came with a sword. Before that, he had only met me once."

"This……"

"Sun Changshi thought he was being instructed by the King of Chu and was so self-righteous. I can tell you, he has never been a smart man. My husband appears to be well-mannered and known for his intelligence, but in reality, he is a man who acts impulsively and without regard for anything."

"..."

"Why do you think this matter ended in vain and remains unsolved to this day? It's not because the King of Chu has all the power. It's precisely because my husband is a madman beyond anyone's imagination, and that's why he remains at large."

After saying this, Sun Xiu's face turned pale, sweat broke out on his forehead, and he was unable to speak.

"He's a man who does whatever he wants. Does Sun Changshi think that by pushing him into a desperate situation, he can do whatever he wants?"

"He appears to be a sweet and reasonable person now, but deep down in his soul, he harbors a fire that wants to burn the entire world. He simply carries too many burdens and responsibilities, which is why he has become this peaceful person now."

"And what you're doing now may seem like a sure win, a way to eradicate the problem, but in reality, it's forcing him to shirk his responsibility. Believe me, Sun Changshi, you don't want to see this side of him."

Hearing this, Sun Xiu was already sweating profusely.

But as a good politician, Sun Xiu knew that once the arrow is shot, there's no turning back. Either don't do it, or do it thoroughly. Now that things have come to this, can he still hope to avoid offending Liu Xian? Regardless of who Liu Xian is, what can he do now? There won't be another better opportunity.

Besides, Sun Xiu never believed that there was anyone he should be afraid of.

So Sun Xiu straightened his spirit and said, "That girl underestimated me. I am not someone who is unsure of what to do."

Suddenly, Lu Zhu had withdrawn her sword, and Sun Xiu was completely unaware. He only heard her continue to explain: "Sun Changshi thinks he knows people, but he neither understands my husband nor me."

"Oh? What do you mean, girl?"

"Does Sun Changshi think that I'm just a woman, a puppet for people's pleasure, and that I can't understand the pros and cons of the world?"

"Haha, how could this be possible..." "Sun Changshi, the reason you came all the way here is simply because you guessed that I am Lu Zhu and wanted to use this to blackmail him? Besides this, do you have any other evidence?"

"..."

"Of course you don't have evidence. If you had evidence, witnesses, and a confession, you could have arrested him openly long ago. Otherwise, why would you come here so secretly?"

In just a few words, Lu Zhu had revealed Sun Xiu's predicament, which shocked him.

But Sun Xiu still insisted: "So what? At least with the girl here, all this is not a problem."

This time, Sun Xiu mobilized troops privately and signed official documents and orders without authorization. None of the procedures were legal.

This is not important in itself; the result is the most important. As long as the result is successful, the legality of the procedure can be recognized later. In any case, Lu Zhu is here now. As long as Lu Zhu is sent to Luoyang and identified by Shi Chong, Sun Xiu will definitely win.

It was only then that he realized that Lu Zhu had withdrawn her sword. He could not help but stand up and said happily, "Young lady, have you thought it through? As long as you are willing to join me, you will surely enjoy endless wealth and glory in the future."

Unexpectedly, Lu Zhu held the sword horizontally and placed it on his slender neck. This made him even more anxious than when she had placed it on Sun Xiu's neck. He asked anxiously, "What do you want, young lady?"

Luzhu's eyes were very calm. She seemed to be looking at Sun Xiu, but not looking at Sun Xiu. In just a few moments, her eyes seemed to have passed through the heavy night, into the distant and untouchable past.

She ignored Sun Xiu's talk of wealth and glory, because she had tasted it all a long time ago, but for her, it was not a life worth reminiscing about. She just said sadly:
"Sun Changshi is right. I can't possibly kill you. If I kill you, I will indeed be harming him."

"He is still very young and has much more to do in the future. If he does something stupid, many people will be ruined."

"But someone has to do something stupid, and that's me."

"I will sacrifice my life here and destroy your only evidence. Then when he returns, what will you have to convict him of?"

Having said that, Sun Xiu was at a loss again.

He hadn't expected this crazy woman to see the situation so clearly. If she really committed suicide here as she said, then his only witness would be gone.

Not only was this trip a waste of time, but it also completely ripped him off from Liu Xian. If the matter were brought to the court, how would he report it? Illegal mobilization of troops meant a lawsuit he was bound to lose.

Oh, what's going on these days? Isn't it said that the more beautiful a woman is, the dumber she is? The so-called "beauties are the root of trouble," like Bao Si and Zhao Feiyan, are so reviled simply because they were fools without political wisdom.

Since ancient times, there have been very few people who are both beautiful and able to understand people's hearts. Over the past thousands of years, this woman's insight into the world can probably only be compared with Lady Li of Emperor Wu of Han.

But compared to Madam Li's calmness, the woman with the sword on her neck seemed to be a little crazy. This madness made her exude a strange charm, but also made Sun Xiu sincerely afraid.

But Sun Xiu still wanted to make a final struggle, and tried to persuade him again: "You are doing useless work! I already control Xiayang County. No matter what evidence there is, I will kill Liu Xian when he comes back. It will be as easy as crushing an ant. What's the point of you doing this? It will only make you a laughing stock!"

"Kill him?" Lu Zhu looked at Sun Xiu coldly, smiled, and then said slowly, "I'm afraid Sun Changshi doesn't understand that you came to Xiayang and you are like a moth to a flame."

Sun Xiu certainly didn't understand. He couldn't imagine how Liu Xian could turn the tide even if he returned. Would the Han emperor's ancestors appear in spirit? If that were truly effective, Shu Han wouldn't have perished.

But Luzhu didn't want to explain, she was stuck in the final dilemma.

Of course, Lu Zhu was also afraid of death. She had originally thought she was fearless, having thought about death long before. Death is a part of life for everyone, and she had already seen it so many times in the Golden Valley Garden.

No matter how beautiful a woman is, she cannot survive two sword strikes. After death, she will decay and emit a rotten stench. After being accustomed to such scenes, it is difficult for people to have awe for life, and instead they are more likely to regard themselves as part of the decay.

But after leaving Jingu Garden, she found that she had gradually forgotten these memories. Those peaceful, easy, and pleasant memories slowly covered up the past that she couldn't bear to look back on, making her yearn for life and the future again. This made her understand a truth at this time: when people have hope for the future, it is difficult to commit suicide.

When Luzhu put the sword blade against her skin, her mind was filled with all kinds of unwillingness. She looked around the small courtyard where the firelight was swaying in the darkness. This was also the place where she poured her heart and soul. She thought she could stay here for a long time, but she didn't expect that it would only be less than two years.

How she wished her mind and body were pure, so that there wouldn't be so many twists and turns.

But if I don’t have these, will I still get his mercy?
The sounds in the room suddenly quieted down. Luzhu said her final goodbye in her heart. The sword blade gradually cut into the soft flesh, and some plump blood beads appeared.

At this moment, someone outside suddenly broke the peace, and the footsteps were anxious and frantic.

Luzhu thought it was Sun Xiu's men, so she subconsciously used force, and blood immediately flowed down the sword edge.

The footsteps also startled Sun Xiu. He knew the situation was irreversible, and his face was ashen. At the same time, he felt extremely angry. He shouted, "What's wrong?! Didn't I tell you not to move?"

Unexpectedly, someone outside shouted, "Oh no! Master Sun! Something terrible has happened!"

"What could possibly go wrong?"

"Xia, Xia Yangchang is back!"

"Huh?! What the hell is going on?"

"We don't know either. Our people were at the county camp and had the situation under control. But for some reason, so many people suddenly showed up."

"So many people, what do you mean so many people? How many people are there?"

"We didn't know! I was standing guard outside the camp when suddenly people came from all directions, setting fire like a sea and surrounding the County North Army Camp! Then Captain Xia Yang came out and took the lead in killing several of us. The county soldiers in the camp also started to make trouble, and the situation was immediately out of control! When I fled, the sea of people was endless. There must be more than 3,000 people, right?"

"What? Three thousand people!" Sun Xiu was shocked. He couldn't imagine where Liu Xian transferred these people from.

He hurried out of the room and looked toward the north of the county. The already pale sky was now as bright as day. In the distance, he could faintly hear the roar of people, like someone gazing at the waves crashing on the edge of a cliff from a high mountain. Even if he couldn't witness it with his own eyes, hearing it gave him a chill.

Sun Xiu had to admit that this was not a lie, and all the believers in the north of the county were finished.

At this time, the believer who came to report the news asked, "Master Bao, I think they are about to come to the county. What should we do?"

What should I do? What else could I do? Sun Xiu glanced back at Lu Zhu and saw her lying weakly on the ground, her sword lying beside her, blood pouring from her neck. He thought to himself that this time, all was lost.

And in this short moment, he also made the most correct and most embarrassing decision:
"What else can we do? Go! Go!"

Sun Xiu ignored the believers in the front yard and took advantage of the fact that Liu Xian hadn't arrived yet. He took only the three people at the door and fled directly from the back door, abandoning all the 500 believers he brought with him in Xiayang.

Sure enough, a quarter of an hour after he left Xiayang County, Liu Xian rushed back with his men. Surprisingly, he didn't come with any county soldiers, but rather, he returned with thousands of Xiayang County residents, blazing like a sea of fire.

Sun Xiu saw this spectacular scene from the first valley in the south of the county after running out of the county gate. He finally understood what Lu Zhu meant by "a moth flying into a flame".

The imperial court had made a huge mistake by sending Liu Xian to a remote location! By now, Xiayang had become Liu Xian's city, his kingdom. It was a city completely out of the imperial court's control. There was no way to control Xiayang City without killing everyone there.

Damn it! Damn it! How could there be such a bitch! Sun Xiu stopped watching the scene and galloped on the mountain path, cursing Lu Zhu in his heart with the most vicious words.

But the problem still needs to be solved. What should we do next after such a big mess?
The answer is simple. All other means have failed, and the only way left is assassination.

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(End of this chapter)