Love Lock

Chapter 336 The Most Compromise Solution

Dongfang Jiming suddenly snapped out of his daze.

The confusion and vulnerability in his eyes receded quickly like a tide, covered by a deeper, colder chill—an extreme defense born from having his deepest secrets touched.

He forced himself to suppress his turbulent emotions, deliberately raised his chin, and used an even more exaggerated tone of mockery to mask the storm raging within him.

"What nonsense are you spouting? Has war damaged your brain? I, the Governor, am as clear as day! This Luo Sihan? I've never heard of him!"

He tried to rebuild his faltering psychological defenses by raising his voice and issuing firm denials.

"Never heard of it? Heh!" Zhao Zun sneered, not believing his nonsense at all.

He carefully examined the other person's features, and the more he looked, the more he felt that the contours of the eyebrows, eyes, and nose were strikingly similar to those of Uncle Luo and Aunt Luo in their youth, only that they were concealed by Dongfang Jiming's attire and his long-established cold and stern demeanor.

"Do you still remember that you are the only son of Uncle Luo Hai from the Luo family of Dajing Capital? Do you know that when you were six years old, after Uncle Luo disappeared on his way to take up his post in Qingshui County, Cangzhou, Uncle Luo and Aunt Luo almost went mad and gave away all their wealth, and their relatives searched for you for many years without success!"

Zhao Zun's voice was heavy with sorrow, each word like a heavy hammer, striking the silent room and seemingly striking Dongfang Jiming's heart.

Dongfang Jiming's body trembled almost imperceptibly again. He pressed his lips tightly together, his eyes momentarily unfocused, but he still stubbornly shook his head, his voice carrying a barely perceptible dryness: "No... I don't know what you're talking about..."

Zhao Zun, however, gave him no chance to catch his breath, and threw out an even more vivid and private memory.

Zhao Zun's gaze was fixed on Dongfang Jiming's eyes, not missing a single movement.

"Do you still remember when we were little, you pushed your little sister Yuanyuan to the ground to snatch the biggest candied hawthorn from her hand? Yuanyuan cried so hard, and I was so angry that I wanted to hit you. You looked like this back then, suddenly closing your eyes, shrinking your neck, your face showing both fear and defiance... Just like the expression you have now! Luo Sihan, do you still want to deny it?"

Upon hearing this, Han Lei, who was sitting next to her, covered her mouth in surprise.

Luo Yuanyuan was the daughter of the Luo family, lively and adorable, whom she had met before. Luo Yuanyuan was a foodie, but she was rather chubby, and there seemed to be no resemblance between her and the Dongming official in front of her.

Uncle Luo and Aunt Luo were kind and gentle people, and had a good reputation in Qingshui County. If this person really was their son who had been missing for many years, then... then how did he end up in Dongming? And how did he become like this... cold-blooded and ruthless, treating human life like dirt?

What earth-shattering changes happened in between?
As Zhao Zun described the details of snatching the candied hawthorn, Dongfang Jiming's pupils suddenly contracted, as if he had been pierced by a strong beam of light.

That long-forgotten scene of the mischievous yet slightly aggrieved young "Luo Sihan" struck his mind so clearly and vividly, forming a sharp contrast with the countless dark and cruel scenes he later experienced.

He could no longer maintain that cold mask; his eyes flickered violently as he struggled, as if two souls were fiercely battling within him.

He opened his mouth, but in the end, he clenched his teeth tightly, lowered his head dejectedly, buried his face in the shadows, and no longer looked at Zhao Zun's burning gaze, nor uttered any words of denial.

His silence was itself a powerless admission.

The room fell into a deathly silence, with only the heavy breathing of a few people remaining.

The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the window lattice, illuminating the fine dust particles in the air and reflecting the complex and unspeakable emotions of Zhao Zun and Dongfang Jiming in this dramatic scene of recognition.

The truth seems to have surfaced, but what follows are even more profound questions and turmoil.

Zhao Zun was shocked by Dongfang Jiming's strange behavior. It really was him! How could Uncle Luo's son, his childhood playmate, have become the ruthless Grand Commander of the Intelligence Bureau of the Dongming Empire?

What exactly happened in between?
"It really is you..." Zhao Zun's voice was complex and hard to decipher, with a hint of wistfulness at finding an old friend, but more so with the heaviness of facing an enemy with an opposing identity and ruthless methods. "Luo Sihan, how could you... become like this? And how could you become the Grand Commander of the Intelligence Division of Dongming?"

Dongfang Jiming slowly turned his head, his face returning to its previous coldness, even more indifferent than before, as if his brief loss of composure was just an illusion.

He smirked, revealing a cold smile tinged with mockery and sorrow: "You've mistaken me for someone else. The Luo Sihan of the past is long dead. He died on a road of hunger and cold, he died... under the 'peaceful and prosperous' reign of your Great Jing!"

He deliberately emphasized the word "Da Jing," his eyes icy. "Now, the only one alive is Dongfang Jiming of the Dongming Empire. He has nothing to do with you or the past."

"So you're admitting it?" Zhao Zun frowned. "You have parents, a sister, and friends. How can you be completely detached from them? Even if you don't acknowledge them, you led your army to attack my city and humiliated my soldiers. How will you settle this score?"

"On the battlefield, everyone serves their own master. Why bother with these personal scores?" Dongfang Jiming said coldly. "If you want revenge, now is your chance. Make your move."

Each serving their own master?

Dongfang Jiming's words plunged the room into silence once again.

The sun had completely sunk behind the mountains, leaving only a faint crimson glow on the horizon, illuminating the three people in the room with their different expressions.

Han Lei listened quietly from the side, her heart filled with turmoil.

She never imagined that Zhao Zun and this Dongming prisoner had such a complicated past.

This made her feelings about Dongfang Jiming more complicated.

Zhao Zun looked at the figure on the bed, stubbornly straightening its back, yet trembling slightly from the pain, its eyes shifting uncertainly.

After recapturing Dongguan at the front and rescuing Marshal Li Jianyong and other prisoners, he had already heard Marshal Li Jianyong recount everything that had happened on the Dongguan battlefield.

Dongfang Jiming's first strategy was to use the prisoners of the Great Jing as the "vanguard." In the great battle, the prisoners of the Great Jing suffered heavy casualties, including Lu Cheng, the marshal of the Dongguan garrison.

Those were the lives of tens of thousands of soldiers of the Great Jing Dynasty!

Dongfang Jiming's second strategy, the "sheep-leading ceremony," trampled on the self-esteem of the Great Jing soldiers and was a national disgrace to the Great Jing Kingdom.

Kill him? It seemed justifiable both publicly and privately. But... the phrase "the old Luo Sihan is long dead" was like an invisible rope, holding him back.

That was the bloodline that Uncle Luo and Aunt Luo had searched for with great effort; it was his childhood playmate!

After a long while, Zhao Zun took a deep breath and then exhaled heavily, as if trying to release the complex emotions in his chest.

He didn't press further or make a move, but simply said in a deep voice, "Take good care of your injuries. I won't kill you until you're healed."

He paused, then added, "After I recover, we can discuss who is friend and who is foe between us...."

After saying that, he stopped looking at Dongfang Jiming's reaction, turned around and walked back to Han Lei's side, carefully helping her up: "Girl, let's go, let him rest." Han Lei nodded, nestled against Zhao Zun, and the two slowly walked towards the door.

Just as he was about to step out of the room, Zhao Zun paused slightly, but did not turn around. He left behind a cryptic remark: "Luo Sihan... or the Grand Commander of the East, whoever you are, living will always give you more answers than dying."

The door was gently closed, isolating the inside from the outside world.

The room fell into darkness and silence once again.

Dongfang Jiming's stiff body finally relaxed, and he leaned weakly against the headboard.

He raised his uninjured hand to cover his eyes.

In the darkness, the memories he had forcibly suppressed surged forth like a tidal wave, mixed with the prosperity of the capital city of Dajing, the desolation of the escape route, the icy river water, the warm sweet cakes... and later, that unfamiliar land, those rigorous training sessions, those endless battles...

A drop of scalding liquid finally slipped through his fingers, dripping onto the cold sheets, spreading quickly without leaving a trace.

Outside the door, the last rays of the setting sun had completely disappeared, and night had fallen.

Zhao Zun, with his arm around Han Lei, walked down the corridor, his mood far less relaxed than when they arrived.

The reunion of old friends should have been a joyous occasion, but it happened under these circumstances, and the other person had become a high-ranking official from an enemy country with whom they were at odds.

"Zhao Zun..." Han Lei called him softly, her voice filled with worry.

Zhao Zun patted the back of her hand and sighed, "It's nothing. I just never expected... that life could be so unpredictable."

He looked up at the night sky where the stars were gradually brightening, his eyes regaining their resolve. "However, personal feelings are personal feelings, and national affairs are national affairs. If he insists on serving Dongming and becoming an enemy of Cangzhou and Dajing, I... will not show any mercy."

However, the child named Luo Sihan ultimately left an indelible mark on his heart.

Han Lei gently tugged at Zhao Zun's sleeve and asked softly, "Then...should we inform Uncle Luo and Aunt Luo?"

Zhao Zun stopped in his tracks and turned to look at Dongfang Jiming's room, his gaze seemingly trying to pierce through the wooden door to see the figure inside, covered in wounds yet incredibly stubborn.

He pondered for a long time, and finally slowly shook his head: "Let's not notify them for now."

He turned around, his voice low and deep: "Although I have confirmed that he is Luo Sihan, his hands are stained with the blood of my Great Jing soldiers. In the Battle of Dongguan, tens of thousands of lives were lost, and Marshal Lu Chengyun also has these blood debts. They cannot be erased with a simple 'each serving their own master'."

As night deepened, the lanterns under the eaves were lit, casting a faint shadow on Zhao Zun's resolute face in their dim yellow light.

"If Uncle Luo and Aunt Luo knew, how heartbroken they would be?" he continued, his tone filled with reluctance. "On one side is their son, whom they have lost and found again, and on the other side is the greater good of their country. How can they choose? It's better to keep it from them for now, so they won't be torn between two options."

Han Lei nodded in deep agreement and slowly walked forward with Zhao Zun.

A night breeze swept through the corridor, bringing with it the fragrance of plants and trees in the courtyard, which slightly dispelled the oppressive atmosphere in the room.

“Zhao Zun,” she asked softly, “how exactly did Luo Sihan disappear back then?”

Zhao Zun put his arm around her shoulder and looked up at the distant night sky, as if searching for lost memories among the countless stars.

“Luo Sihan is three years younger than me,” Zhao Zun’s voice softened, carrying the warmth of memories. “He was exceptionally beautiful when he was born, with fair skin and big, bright eyes, like a delicate porcelain doll. The neighbors all said they had never seen such a handsome boy.”

"What about Luo Yuanyuan?" Han Lei asked curiously.

Zhao Zun smiled slightly: "It's funny, Yuanyuan was chubby when she was born, and her appearance was not as delicate as her brother's. Yuanyuan complained a lot about this when she was little, saying that her parents gave all the good looks to her brother."

He paused, then continued, "Uncle Luo was a county magistrate outside the capital at that time and didn't come home often. Aunt Luo's maiden name contained the character 'Han,' so Uncle Luo named his son 'Si Han,' meaning to miss them, mother and son."

“This name is so nice,” Han Lei said softly, “it’s full of affection.”

“Yes,” Zhao Zun nodded. “Back then, the Zhao family and the Luo family were neighbors. Sihan, Yuanyuan, and I often played together. Although Sihan was young, he was always very resourceful. When we played war games, he was never content to be just a soldier. He always wanted to be the strategist, and he arranged the troops in a very professional manner.”

At this point, Zhao Zun's eyes darkened: "Who could have imagined that we would actually be facing each other on the battlefield, and that he would actually become the enemy country's 'strategist,' giving all his strategies to the enemy country."

Han Lei gently squeezed his hand, offering silent comfort.

"Later, Uncle Luo was transferred to be the magistrate of Qingshui County in Cangzhou. Because the post was too far away, he decided to take his family with him. At that time, I was nine years old and Luo Sihan was only six years old."

Zhao Zun's voice gradually lowered, "They moved their whole family and stopped to rest in a mountain forest. The adults were busy packing their things and feeding the horses, while Si Han played nearby. When everything was ready and they were about to get into the carriage to continue their journey, they found that Si Han was gone."

Even though she knew it happened many years ago, Han Lei couldn't help but hold her breath.

"The Luo family searched the vicinity like madmen. Uncle Luo was even more than a month late in taking office. They also wrote to our family, and my mother immediately mobilized everyone in the household to help search along the way. After Uncle Luo's family settled in Cangzhou, they also sent a large number of people to inquire everywhere, but..."

Zhao Zun shook his head, his tone full of regret, "There has been no news at all."

"Who would have thought that he would end up in Dongming and become the Grand Commander of the Intelligence Bureau?" Han Lei exclaimed.

"Yes!" Zhao Zun sighed. "I wonder what he has gone through all these years to become like this. How could the cheerful, lively, and clever Luo Sihan have become the cold-blooded, ruthless, and vicious Dongfang Jiming?"

The two returned to the room as they talked. The candlelight flickered, casting long shadows on the wall.

Han Lei poured him a glass of water and handed it to him, asking softly, "So, what do you plan to do with him?"

Zhao Zun drank some water, then removed his armor. The metal plates clanged together with a crisp sound. He placed the heavy armor on a rack, his expression solemn.

“Let’s have our meal first,” he finally said, reaching out to gently stroke Han Lei’s cheek. “I need to think this over carefully. After all, Luo Sihan is not only Uncle Luo’s son, but also the Grand Commander of the enemy’s intelligence department. All the soldiers saw me capture him, and I can’t show favoritism. Marshal Li Jianyong also mentioned to me that the Dongming official looked very familiar.”

His gaze was serious. "So... the only thing I can do is to find the most compromise solution."

"Yes! No matter what, I'll always be by your side." Han Lei walked to Zhao Zun's side and gently leaned against him. She was also thinking about how to handle the situation in a way that would allow both sides to have the best of both worlds.

Happy holidays, everyone!