Sheng Tang: What is Liu Jianjun going to do today?

Chapter 166 Liu Jianjun's Return and Liu Rengui's "Resurrection" (4K)

The 20th day of the first lunar month, at night.

The city of Chang'an was under curfew, the gates of the wards were tightly closed, and the streets were deserted. Only the sound of the night watchman's clapper and the footsteps of the magistrate on patrol occasionally broke the silence.

From the side gate of the Prince of Pei's residence, a series of hurried but deliberately suppressed hoofbeats approached from afar.

The guards at the gate immediately became alert, gripping their sword hilts and asking in low voices, "Who dares to break into the Prince's residence at night?"

"It's me! Liu Jianjun! Open the door!"

The guard was taken aback and hurriedly peeked through the crack in the door.

Under the moonlight, Liu Jianjun's dark and thin face was covered in dust, his eyes were sunken, and his lips were cracked. He had almost rolled off his horse. Behind him was a man wrapped tightly in a tattered cloak, whose face was not visible. He was also riding a horse and seemed weak and swaying.

……

Li Xian had already gone to bed, but upon hearing that Liu Jianjun had returned late at night with another person, he was instantly wide awake, put on his outer robe, and hurried out.

At the entrance of the courtyard, he saw Liu Jianjun grinning at him, and a figure that, though shrouded in a cloak, looked strangely familiar.

“My worthy son, I have not failed you… I have brought you the man.” Liu Jianjun grinned, turned his head, and whispered to the cloaked man, “Xianzi, we’re home, we’re safe.”

The cloaked figure trembled slightly, then slowly raised his head and lifted the hood.

Under the stars and moon, the glow of the lanterns intertwined with the moonlight, illuminating a pale, haggard face filled with fear and exhaustion.

It was Li Xian.

“Xian…brother?!” Li Xian’s voice involuntarily choked with emotion.

How did that once vibrant young man become so emaciated?

Li Xian, hidden beneath the cloak, had dull, lifeless eyes, sunken eye sockets, and a listless demeanor. Even his voice was low and strained: "Second brother..."

Li Xian felt a lump in his throat and quickly stepped forward to tightly grasp his arm: "Xiandi! It really is you! Quick, come inside and talk!"

The three quickly entered the house and closed the door.

What puzzled Li Xian was that Li Xian walked stiffly, and he was practically being pulled into the room by Li Xian.

But now was not the time for reminiscing, so Li Xian temporarily suppressed his confusion.

……

As soon as he entered, Liu Jianjun practically collapsed onto the couch. He grabbed the teapot on the table, and without even pouring it, gulped down several mouthfuls of cold tea directly from the spout. Only then did he let out a long sigh of relief, patting his chest and saying, "Damn it... I almost... I almost didn't make it back... Xianzi, is there anything to eat? I'm starving. I've been running all this way, I'm about to throw up my bile..."

Li Xian hurriedly ordered the eunuch on night duty to prepare food and soup, then looked anxiously at Liu Jianjun, and then at Li Xian, who was huddled to the side in a state of panic.

"What...what happened? Did we encounter danger on the road?" Li Xian's heart jumped.

Li Xian's expression was one of fear and unease, as if he had been terrified. Something was wrong.

Liu Jianjun waved his hand, took another sip of water, and finally caught his breath. He said, "Don't even mention it... In Fangzhou, that bastard Wu Sansi sent guards who were like they were guarding against thieves... no, even stricter than guarding against thieves!"

“We were stuck, but then I remembered that Xu Jingye and his group found someone who looked a lot like you to play the role of Prince Pei. So we followed suit and found someone who looked a lot like Xianzi. We sneaked out by climbing over the wall in the dark.”

"The journey back wasn't peaceful either. I encountered two groups of checkpoints. Damn it, luckily I was smart enough to pretend that Xianzi had the plague, and I barely managed to escape by scrambling around..."

"Anyway, overall it was a close call but no real danger."

At this moment, Liu Jianjun looked at Li Xian again, and winked at Li Xian without leaving a trace, saying, "Xianzi has been traveling all the way and is too tired. Let him go and rest first."

Li Xian instantly understood Liu Jianjun's meaning. He looked at Li Xian, who still seemed flustered and asked softly, "Brother Xian?"

Li Xian nodded subconsciously, somewhat blankly.

Li Xian looked at Liu Jianjun, but Liu Jianjun simply shook his head slightly at him.

Li Xian's heart tightened, and he softly comforted Li Xian, "Brother Xian, we've arrived in Chang'an, we're safe now. You should go and rest, okay?"

Li Xian reacted, nodding, but remained motionless.

Seeing his younger brother Li Xian's distraught appearance, Li Xian felt even more pain in his heart and could no longer bear to ask Liu Jianjun for details. He stepped forward and said softly, "Xian-di, you must be tired from your journey. Come, let your elder brother take you to settle down and rest."

He helped the almost numb Li Xian to his feet and quickly said to Liu Jianjun, "Jianjun, you should also take a break and have some food. I'll come back as soon as I've settled Xiandi in."

Liu Jianjun nodded, signaling him to hurry up.

Li Xian said no more and carefully helped Li Xian to a secluded room that had been prepared in advance.

The eunuchs had already lit the lamps and candles and laid out the bedding.

"Xiandi, we've arrived. It's very safe here, and no one will disturb us." Li Xian helped Li Xian sit down on the edge of the bed and comforted him gently. "You should get some sleep first. Don't think about anything. Your brother is here for you."

Li Xian seemed to regain his senses slightly. He raised his head, looked at Li Xian with teary eyes, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he only let out a choked sob and nodded vigorously.

Li Xian took off his dusty outer robe, watched him lie down, and carefully tucked him in, just like he had taken care of his younger brother when they were children.

Seeing Li Xian gradually close his eyes in extreme exhaustion and fright, his breathing becoming heavy but still relatively steady, Li Xian was slightly relieved. He blew out most of the candles, leaving only a small lamp, and quietly left the room, instructing his trusted eunuch at the door to keep a close watch and not allow anyone to disturb him.

After doing all this, Li Xian took a deep breath of the cold night air, suppressed the turmoil and worry in his heart, and quickly returned to his courtyard.

Pushing open the door, one could see Liu Jianjun had already devoured the plate of flatbread and meat soup that the eunuch had just brought, and was now holding a bowl and drinking the last sip of soup. His face had finally regained some color, but the fatigue and solemnity between his brows remained undiminished.

Upon seeing Li Xian return, Liu Jianjun put down his bowl, wiped his mouth, and his expression became completely serious. He pointed to the doorway.

Li Xian understood and immediately said to his men, "All of you step back and stand guard outside. No one is allowed to approach."

Once only the two of them were left in the room, Liu Jianjun sat down in front of Li Xian and said in a very low voice, "Xianzi, I didn't say anything to Xianzi when he was here, for fear of upsetting him. Xianzi... he was frightened on the way here."

Li Xian's heart tightened suddenly: "What exactly happened?"

"What happened to you in Bazhou also happened to Xianzi." Liu Jianjun glanced at Li Xian meaningfully and said, "It's just that Xianzi's identity is special, so they didn't dare to really force him to his death. Therefore, as long as Xianzi doesn't die, they've used almost everything they can."

Upon hearing this, Li Xian felt a chill run through his body.

Although Liu Jianjun did not say it explicitly, Li Xian easily guessed how much injustice Li Xian had suffered.

Back then, Qiu Shenji only wanted to force him to his death cleanly and efficiently, and the methods he used were already despicable enough. But Xiandi... wanted to die but couldn't.

Most importantly, she had no idea that her mother was targeting her, so even though she was about to be forced to her death, she still had one hope in her heart—to return to Chang'an and clear her name.

But what about Xian Di?

He had been on the throne and had also been deposed by his mother, so he knew clearly that his mother wanted to harm him and that the murderous intent came from his closest relatives. This was the most desperate thing.

……

“Let’s talk about Xianzi later. Let him rest for the night. With you as his older brother, he’ll recover eventually. What about Lao Liu?” Liu Jianjun rubbed his temples, a hint of longing in his eyes: “Is he… still there?” Li Xian pursed his lips, Liu Rengui’s instructions flashing through his mind.

Seeing Liu Jianjun's tired expression, he couldn't help but blurt out.

But Liu Jianjun's expression froze: "He's gone already?"

Li Xian swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue, his face showing a somber expression. He said, "Tomorrow... you can come with me to his residence. There's still... enough time."

Liu Jianjun's expression froze for a moment, and he nodded silently.

……

The next day, it was just getting light.

Li Xian got up early.

He first went to check on Li Xian in the side room. Li Xian was asleep, but he was sleeping very restlessly, with his brows furrowed and occasionally startled, uttering indistinct mutterings.

Li Xian watched for a while, sighed inwardly, and ultimately did not wake him. He instructed the eunuch to take good care of him and to report back as soon as he woke up naturally.

Back in the main hall, Liu Jianjun was already waiting there.

He changed into a clean blue casual outfit, and his hair was carefully tied up. He looked much more energetic after washing away the dust of the journey, but there was still some worry and sadness in his eyes.

The two ate a simple breakfast in silence, the atmosphere heavy with tension.

"Xianzi is still not awake?" Liu Jianjun asked, seemingly unconsciously.

"Ah."

"Shall we go to Old Liu's place after dinner?"

"Ah."

"Let's go, I'm not in the mood to eat anymore, let's go mooch some of his offerings." Liu Jianjun suddenly stood up, his face showing a forced sense of relief and a feigned nonchalance.

Li Xian thought for a moment and then stood up.

……

At the entrance of the Prince's mansion, the carriage was already prepared. The coachman gently cracked the whip, and the carriage slowly started moving, rumbling away from the Prince of Pei's mansion and heading towards Liu Rengui's residence.

Inside the carriage, Li Xian was unaware of what was happening until the coachman outside whispered, "Your Highness, Chief Secretary, we have arrived at the Liu residence." Only then did Li Xian notice Liu Jianjun and come to his senses.

Liu Jianjun didn't act immediately. He glanced at Li Xian, pursed his lips, and seemed to be thinking about something.

Then he suddenly raised his hand and lifted the carriage curtain.

A biting cold wind instantly rushed into the carriage.

The familiar lintel of the Liu residence came into view, now adorned with a glaring white banner that fluttered helplessly in the cold wind. The gates of the Liu residence stood wide open, like a silent and sorrowful gaping maw.

Before the two even got close, they could already hear low, sorrowful cries and chanting.

Liu Jianjun stood beside the car, gazing at the mansion shrouded in white mourning. His earlier feigned nonchalance vanished without a trace. His jaw tightened, his Adam's apple bobbed, and his gaze was fixed on the fluttering white banner, as if he were nailed to the spot.

Li Xian then got out of the car, gently touched Liu Jianjun's arm, and whispered, "Let's go inside."

Liu Jianjun seemed to be startled awake. He took a deep breath of the air, which smelled of incense and candles, and nodded emphatically: "Let's go."

The two walked one after the other toward the gate of the mansion.

The closer they got, the clearer the mournful sounds became: suppressed sobs, the wailing of the women, and the low, rhythmic chanting of the monks…

The gatekeeper's family members, their eyes already red and swollen from crying, hurriedly bowed upon seeing Li Xian and Liu Jianjun, their voices choked with emotion: "Your Highness... Chief Secretary Liu... you two..."

The words were left unsaid, yet they were filled with sorrow.

Liu Jianjun remained silent as he walked into the mourning hall.

The mourning hall was set up in the main hall, which was decorated in pure white both inside and out. White banners hung low, and white candles burned slowly. Liu Rengui's coffin was placed in the center, but it had not yet been closed.

Seeing Liu Jianjun's eyes instantly redden, Li Xian quickly stepped forward, gazed at Liu Rengui's body, and bowed deeply, his voice trembling uncontrollably: "Lord Liu... this junior... is too late..."

Li Xian pursed his lips, looked around at Liu Rengui's family members and nephews who were kneeling and weeping, and felt a little puzzled.

But remembering Liu Rengui's instructions, Li Xian cautiously took a few steps back and retreated to the front of the hall.

Then he kept a close eye on Liu Jianjun.

Liu Jianjun was oblivious to all of this, only muttering to himself, "Old Liu, what are you doing, getting on in your seventies or eighties, still messing around with us? Now look what's happened, you're still helping me on your deathbed."

"Look at me again. I enjoy your help without a care in the world, but when you leave and glare at me, I'm not even there for you. Isn't that infuriating?"

"If I were you, I would be so angry I'd jump out of my coffin."

Upon hearing this, Li Xian took two more steps back, almost reaching the doorway.

Liu Jianjun remained oblivious, lost in grief and self-reproach, continuing to ramble on to the old man in the coffin, his voice hoarse: "Old Liu... ah... ah?!!"

In the blink of an eye, the voice went from hoarse and low to sharp and high-pitched.

Then, Li Xian saw Liu Jianjun suddenly jump back three feet, fall to the ground, his pupils suddenly contracted, and point at the coffin, his voice as if he had seen a ghost: "He...he's come back to life! Old Liu has come back to life!"

Li Xian suppressed a laugh as he looked at the coffin.

The old man in the coffin slowly sat up, staring at Liu Jianjun with a half-smile on his lips.

The mournful cries and chanting that had filled the mourning hall suddenly and eerily ceased at that moment.

All the "heartbroken" family members and nephews stopped their performance, and the monks forgot to strike their wooden fish. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the coffin and Liu Jianjun, who was terrified. There was no trace of sadness on their faces, only an uncontrollable, strange smile.

At this moment, Liu Jianjun looked blankly at everyone, then at Li Xian, and finally at Liu Rengui, stammering incoherently, "You...you...old man, you...you're not dead?! You're lying to me?!"

Liu Rengui finally couldn't hold back and burst into laughter, his voice loud and clear, full of energy. As he laughed, he pointed at Liu Jianjun: "Hahaha! You rascal! Where did your usual cleverness go? I only used a little trick, and you're scared like this! Hahaha... cough cough..."

Liu Rengui couldn't help but cough twice because he was laughing too hard.

Sitting on the ground, Liu Jianjun looked at Liu Rengui, who was laughing heartily, then at the crowd of people laughing around him, and then at Li Xian, who was struggling to hold back his laughter at the door. Finally, he understood everything.

Then, baring its teeth and claws, it pounced on Li Xian.

"Damn it! Xianzi, you bastard and Lao Liu teamed up to scam me!"

……

(End of this chapter)