Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 648 The Way to Survive
"As expected of Prince Guangchang, you truly remain calm in the face of danger." Li Erzhan's composure impressed Cui Mingji. "Unfortunately, you're mistaken. We don't intend to seize the training camp, but we won't leave just yet! We're here for you, so hurry up and sit back down!"

“It seems you really don’t dare to kill me.” Li Erzhan not only didn’t move, but instead gripped his belt, put his hands on his hips, and stood on the ground in a position of looking down.

"Your dog life is only useful for now!" Cui Mingji frowned.

Li Erzhan raised an eyebrow and slowly asked, "What do you want me to do? Or rather, what do you want to do?"

"You'll find out soon enough! Hurry up and go back to your seat!" Cui Mingji took out another arrow and nocked it on the bowstring.

"Calm down." Li Erzhan raised his hand, making a "stop" gesture, and then smoothly switched to a gentler tone of voice. "I can go with you, but what about after that? Will you let me leave?"

"Don't force me!" Cui Mingji shouted, "Get back in your sedan chair right now!"

“If I go with you, but I’m still going to be killed in the end, I might as well just be shot here.” Li Erzhan straightened his chest. “I don’t want to die, but I’m not afraid of dying either. If I have to die, dying a day or two earlier won’t make a difference.”

Cui Mingji was actually at a disadvantage: "Fine, I promise you. As long as you cooperate honestly, we'll let you go after it's done!"

"A guarantee? What guarantee do you have?" Li Erzhan asked loudly, "Who is making a guarantee to me?"

"..." Cui Mingji wanted to say something, but his elder brother Cui Laiji stepped forward and grabbed his shoulder: "Don't waste your breath on him, Li Erzhan is just stalling for time! Before anyone else comes, just knock him unconscious, stuff him in the sedan chair, and take him away!"

Cui Mingji was taken aback, then ordered the crowd, "Tie up Li Erzhan and stuff him into the sedan chair!"

"Who dares to touch my master!" The lead sedan bearer swiftly pulled out a carrying pole. Holding the pole with both hands, he blocked Li Erzhan's path, looking like a water buffalo about to charge in a fit of rage.

Although the other three sedan chair carriers couldn't find suitable weapons in time, they all gathered around Li Erzhan.

"Forget it, Kim Gu," Li Erzhan suddenly sighed at this tense moment. "They outnumber you. Even if you fight ten against one, you won't be able to break through. Don't throw your life away in vain. Just go with them."

The sedan bearers, led by "Master," were still hesitating, but Li Erzhan had already turned around and returned to the sedan: "What are you all standing there for? Hurry up and put the carrying poles back in!"

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When the sedan chair landed again, it was already half an hour later.

"Yanfo Temple? Where is this?" Li Erzhan bowed as he got out of the sedan chair and looked up at the obviously dilapidated plaque on the door.

Although some famous Buddhist temples, such as Bongeunsa Temple, have been revitalized thanks to royal patronage, there are still many forgotten mountain temples around Hanyang.

"Why ask so many questions? Just go in!" Cui Mingji, still with his face covered by a gray cloth, tried to approach Li Erzhan with a seemingly new sword, but was blocked outside the sedan chair by the lead sedan chair bearer.

"What's the rush? I'm already in your hands, aren't I?" Li Erzhan patted the sedan bearers on the shoulder. "These people who have promoted me are all honest and upright men, and they didn't recognize you. Even if you go back on your word and insist on killing me, you don't have to harm them first."

The sedan chair bearers' eyes quickly filled with tears.

"Hmph!" Cui Mingji snorted coldly, his eyes filled with complex emotions. "I never expected that a treacherous dog like you, who has harmed the loyal and innocent and killed countless people, would say such things."

“Loyal and good. As expected. Whose old subordinates are you? Lin Haijun, Jinlingjun, Lingchangjun? Or Liu Yongqing, Jin Zhizai, Jin Tinan, Li Shanhai, Li Dexin, Li Hengfu?” Li Erzhan asked, staring intently at the eyes that were not covered by the gray cloth.

"Shut up!" Cui Mingji suddenly lost control of his emotions. He roared and raised his hand, the sword pointing directly at Li Erzhan's throat!
"Master!" The sedan bearers immediately panicked and tried to rush forward to protect their master, but they were quickly surrounded by masked men who outnumbered them several times over.

"Hehehehe," Li Erzhan didn't dodge, but instead took another half step forward to meet the sword's edge. "No matter whose student you are, whose remnant you are, if you want revenge, then come on. The grievances have their source, the debts have their debtors; being able to seize the opportunity to kill you today, I can consider it atonement for some of my sins!"

Cui Mingji was actually forced to take a step back by Li Erzhan's imposing aura. "Aton for your sins? You...you scoundrel, you make it sound so easy!"

"Forget it, forget it. Now is not the time to talk about this. We need to focus on important matters! They're waiting for our reply over there!" Cui Laiji rushed over and grabbed his younger brother's arm, afraid that he might stab Li Erzhan with his sword in his excitement.

Li Erzhan glanced quickly at Cui Laiji. "Who are you replying to? What exactly are you trying to do?"

“Lord Guangchang, let’s go inside and talk.” Choi Rae-gil turned to the side and gestured for them to enter through the open temple door.

“Very well.” Li Erzhan nodded, decisively bypassing the still dazed Cui Mingji, and strode into Yanfo Temple. He held his head high, his sleeves fluttering, looking nothing like a kidnapped person helplessly entering a thief's den.

"Master!" the lead sedan bearer called out loudly from behind, but Li Erzhan paid no heed.

Inside the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the clay-bodied, straw-and-wood Maitreya Buddha, though lacking its golden body, still retained its ever-smiling expression. Li Erzhan sat cross-legged beneath it, with the brothers Cui Mingji and Cui Laiji before him. On either side of the Buddha statue were a dozen or so servants of the Cui family who had followed in. If it weren't for the gray-white linen veils covering their faces, the scene would have resembled a highly virtuous monk preaching to his disciples.

"Let's get straight to the point, what exactly do you want me to do?" The high monk in a bright red robe spoke first.

"Aren't you going to ask who we are now?" Cui Mingji said sarcastically.

“Young man,” Li Erzhan turned his head and smiled at the pair of eyes that had just rolled their eyes at him. “If you’re willing to tell me, I’d be happy to listen, but if you really don’t want to, there’s nothing I can do. So I’ll just leave it at that.”

"You!" Cui Mingji was provoked by Li Erzhan's indifference and became even angrier.

Cui Laiji pressed down on Cui Mingji's shoulder. "Don't act rashly! Hurry up and take that thing out."

"Hoo!" Cui Mingji let out a long breath, his hands trembling as he pulled an unsealed envelope from his pocket. "Sign this. We'll let you go."

Lee Er-chan took the envelope, gently shook out the letter inside, and quickly finished reading it. "You want to take Kang Hong-rip and Kim Gyeong-seo away from the Uigeumbu?" "The Prince of Gwangchang doesn't seem surprised?" Choi Rae-gil could hear a hint of surprise in Lee Er-chan's voice, but that was all.

“Nothing to be surprised about.” Li Erzhan folded the letter and placed it beside him along with the envelope. Looking up, he surprisingly asked, “When did you see that proclamation?”

"What proclamation!?" Cui Laiji's expression changed, and Cui Mingji even placed his hand on the sword.

"Let's not beat around the bush," Li Erzhan chuckled. "You're neither bandits nor simply here for revenge. Now you're pulling out this document and asking me to sign it, isn't it because you're plotting to change the royal line and trying to use these two people to curry favor with that imperial envoy?"

"Your Highness, you're so blunt. Aren't you afraid we'll kill you to silence you?" Choi Rae-gil said threateningly, but a fine layer of cold sweat had already seeped from his forehead.

“I’ve already said it, I don’t want to die, but I’m not afraid to die either. If you want to kill me,” Li Erzhan said, pointing to the sword, “do it now and see if the people behind you will praise you for killing someone or just scoff.” At the end, Li Erzhan suddenly stopped and turned to give Cui Mingji a cold snort.

"What do you want?" Cui Mingji released the sword hilt and clenched his fist under his sleeve.

"Hahahaha." Li Erzhan suddenly threw his head back and burst into laughter.

"What are you laughing at!" Cui Mingji's gaze drifted to the face of the Maitreya Buddha statue behind Li Erzhan.

“Young man, you’ve lost your mind. This is the kind of question I should be asking you.” Li Erzhan pressed on, “Let’s be frank, whose people are behind you? Prince Rencheng, or Prince Yichang? How far have you gone?”

Cui Mingji was taken aback at first, then subconsciously exchanged a glance with Cui Laiji.

"Do you think we'd tell you something like this? Sign it now!" Cui Mingji shouted.

“You want to change the royal lineage while the emperor is raising an army to punish you, but this letter alone won’t do the trick. The Uijinbu is not that kind of place.” Li Erzhan smiled and pointed to the letter beside him.

"This is none of your business! If you want to live, sign the papers now!" Li Erzhan's nonchalant attitude infuriated Cui Mingji.

"Does signing this mean I'll live?" Li Erzhan continued before the other party could reply, "Don't waste your breath making any promises to me. I won't believe a single word you say right now."

"Then what do you want?!" Cui Mingji blurted out, but he quickly blushed. It was a blood-red color, a mixture of shame and anger.

“Don’t be impatient, look how calm he is.” Li Erzhan pointed to the relatively calm Cui Laiji, then turned around and asked, “Who’s in charge between you two? If it’s you, let this kid out, it’ll make it easier to talk things over.”

Cui Laiji reached out and stopped the agitated Cui Mingji. "Prince Guangchang, please speak plainly instead of beating around the bush."

“I’ve always been straightforward. If you’re still confused, let me explain further.” Li Erzhan’s smile faded as he asked, “Have you all seen the guardianship proclamation issued by Imperial Envoy Yuan?”

"Yes." Cui Laiji nodded.

"You want me to sign this paper because you want to take Jiang Hongli and Jin Jingrui away from the Uijinfu, and then use these two people to curry favor with the imperial envoy and persuade him to make the person behind you king?" Li Erzhan continued to ask.

Choi Lai-gil hesitated for a moment. "Yes."

"Who's behind you! Inseong-gun, Uichang-gun, Gyeongchang-gun, Heungan-gun, or Gyeongpyeong-gun?" Lee Er-chan resorted to his old trick of calling out names by looking into eyes. But even after calling out names to the very end, he still couldn't detect any unusual fluctuations in Choi Rae-gil's eyes.

"Sigh," Li Erzhan shrugged, spreading his hands. "Look. I've already said all this, but you're unwilling to give me a straight answer."

"Do you think we'd tell you something like this?" Choi Rae-gil asked, pointing to the gray cloth mask covering his face.

“You must tell me, otherwise we cannot reach a cooperation agreement,” Li Erzhan said.

"Cooperation!?" Cui Laiji had almost lost count of how many times he had been shocked by Li Erzhan's words and actions.

“That’s right.” Li Erzhan nodded calmly. “If we didn’t cooperate, how could I possibly help you? Conversely, if I didn’t help you, how could you possibly succeed?”

"You're going to betray Guanghai?" Cui Mingji's eyes widened.

“If I could, of course I would also like to be a loyal subject,” Li Erzhan said matter-of-factly. “But didn’t you all arrest me? Besides joining the uprising and sharing the credit for supporting the emperor, what other way out do I have to survive?”

"You just said you weren't afraid of death?" Cui Mingji retorted.

“But I also said I don’t want to die,” Li Erzhan explained. “If you are determined to kill me out of revenge, then I really have no choice but to accept my fate. But now you want to take advantage of the Celestial Empire’s military campaign to establish a new emperor, then we can talk.”

“But we don’t want to talk to you! Stop wasting your breath. If you want to live, sign this now!” Cui Mingji glared at him, but when Li Erzhan looked back, he looked away.

"Can't you understand human language?" Li Erzhan leaned forward, adopting an aggressive stance. "I've already made myself very clear: there's no basis for trust between us. I don't even know who you are, so I can't possibly believe your promises without reason, nor do I think I can live by signing this worthless piece of paper." With that, Li Erzhan unexpectedly tore the letter containing the order in half!
"You really think I wouldn't dare kill you!" Cui Mingji suddenly stood up, drew his sword, and pointed it at Li Erzhan's forehead.

“If you think that killing me in this dilapidated temple will allow the person behind you to sit on the dragon throne, then go ahead and do it.” Li Erzhan slowly stood up, the blade of his sword moving upwards with him. Finally, Cui Mingji’s sword, Li Erzhan’s brow, and Maitreya Buddha’s navel formed a straight line in the gradually dimming afternoon sunlight.

"You, you..." Cui Mingji was at a loss. He had never met anyone like this in all his years of life.

"How do you want to cooperate?" Cui Laiji stood up, grabbed Cui Mingji's wrist, and took the sword from his hand.

Li Erzhan was still looking at Cui Mingji. "You should take off what's covering your faces first. If you're going to cooperate, you should be more honest."

(End of this chapter)