THE DEPUTY COMMANDER OF JINYIWEI 2
"But Your Highness, now you refuse to help Mr. Chen, will it instead provoke him? And the situation will be even more dangerous for you?"
"I am not refusing to help him, my true intention is instead the opposite."
"Huh?!"
"As I said, having business with Jinyiwei is a very dangerous thing. We have no idea about what they are actually thinking. From what I always witnessed when my father was still alive, Jinyiwei is a group of stone-faced and cruel people who can kill people without blinking. I have often seen them torturing their victims, and finally doing the killing by using a very horrible execution. And they are unlike Chen Xinyi who looks weak and timid. But Jinyiwei is also good at pretending, that's why they are very brilliant at spying. I don't want to be careless when dealing with them. So I want to test Chen Xinyi. If he doesn't go after me, then he is indeed the Emperor's spy. That means, I have to be ready... But if he is chasing me, it means that he is sincere with his intention. Well, we'll see then, what he will do next. As well as... what will become my future destiny..."
Of course, Zhu Su really hoped that Chen Xinyi would try to chase after him. But no sign showed that Chen Xinyi would approach him. And the situation remained unchanged even after they arrived in Yunnan, everything was still the same as before he left for the capital. And, no emissary sent by the emperor came to ask for help, either. Since it was unsynchronized with the situation he found in the capital, Zhu Su's mind became such a tumult, full of anxiety.
Zhu Su's mind was so chaotic that even meditation could no longer give him peace. Instead, what appeared in his mind was a flashback of an occurrence when he still became Zhou Wang. When he watched with his own eyes, the Jinyiwei dragged the entire family of a corrupt official in Kaifeng. Only an official was guilty, but even his wife, his siblings, his cousins, his children - his entire family must be executed.
"Please spare my son's life! He's only a kid!" One of the official's relatives was crying while hugging his five-years-old son.
"No way! He is still a member of the corrupt family, when he grows up, he will surely become a corruptor! The corruption seeds must be eliminated to its roots!"
"But he is innocent, Sir! He is innocent! He doesn't know anything!"
"Shut up!" The soldier lifted the boy who soon cried loudly, and cut off his tiny head mercilessly.
And next to the poor boy's corpse, another soldier was stabbing at the body of an old man, causing the old man to die with dozens of stab wounds all over his body.
That was just a few examples of those brutally-executed convicts, and there were still dozens of lives died miserably in the killing field.
Is this my karma? The punishment for me, because even though I saw it with my own eyes, I did nothing to prevent it? So it is turning back to me now, I have to go through what they have passed through?
"Your Highness... Your Highness!"
"Who's that?!" Being so surprised, Zhu Su immediately jumped to his feet, and because of the excessive panic which inflicted his subconscious mind to protect himself, he automatically grabbed his sword and directed it blindly at his caller.
"P... Please forgive me, Your Highness! Please forgive me!" Seeing Zhu Su brandishing his sword fiercely, the caller hurriedly knelt down in fear.
Zhu Su blinked his eyes. "Nayin... it is you...?"
"I am really sorry, Your Highness! It's my fault, surprising you when you are meditating!" Hu Nayin was endlessly apologizing.
Zhu Su regulated his chaotic breath. He sheathed his sword.
"I am sorry Nayin... I thought you were an enemy who was trying to harm me..." Zhu Su said weakly. "You are blameless. It is me who has to be blamed."
Hu Nayin lifted her head. Slowly, she rose to her feet. But she still lowered her eyes, feeling ashamed as she had made Zhu Su panic.
"Yes... Your Highness... I am so worried about you. I notice that you look distressed and daydream more often than usual, that's why I come here. When meditating, we are alone and nobody protects us... I am worried... You will get into trouble..."
"Thank you very much for your attention, Nayin. Well... you must know the political intrigue I'm facing. I... well, I'm afraid my life will end soon..." While saying so, Zhu Su felt his whole body trembled violently. Though tonight was not so cold, he felt as if a blizzard was striking his body.
Hu Nayin stepped forward, slowly approached Zhu Su. But at a certain distance, the young woman stopped. She only looked at Zhu Su with pity.
"Are you okay, Nayin? Did I hurt you just now?"
"No, Your Highness..."
"That's good," Zhu Su smiled. He looked up. "I'm not in the mood to meditate anymore. My mind is very chaotic. I want to look at the beauty of the night sky." He turned to look at Hu Nayin who was still standing nearby. "Do you want to accompany me to see the beauty of night?"
"Ah... yes, Your Highness... my pleasure to do that..."
Hu Nayin squeezed her hands. Slowly, she sat next to Zhu Su, who was sitting on a large rock. But unlike Zhu Su who now looked up again, Hu Nayin kept her head down, her lips tightly closed and her teeth occasionally bit her lips.
"Nayin, if one day I get caught by the enemy, run as far as possible. And if they ask you about me, then answer that you don't know me."
Hu Nayin looked up spontaneously. Zhu Su was staring deeply at her.
"Eh... wh... why do you say that?..."
"No problem. I'm just worried. My enemies are a bunch of ruthless people. Not only they intend to finish me, they also eye whoever gets close to me. Even innocent people can become victims. And... I don't want you to be victimized... Therefore, you must say that you don't know me, so that you can survive..."
"I refuse to do that!"
This time Hu Nayin's voice was not as stammering as before; she even raised her eyebrows, said with great sincerity.
Zhu Su inevitably felt annoyed with Hu Nayin's opposing intention. "Nayin! It is for the safety of your own life! Don't sacrifice yourself just for me!"
"I'm not that kind of person! And I don't want to be a damned person like that! I won't be selfish just because I want to save my own life!"
Zhu Su took a deep breath, unable to restrain his tension. "Don't you know who you are facing with right now?! This is Jinyiwei, Nayin! A very scary secret agents! They don't care whether you are just a woman, or a child, or an elder, they will kill you very ruthlessly because that's they have been programmed to! Ah... you've never seen their cruelty... if only you have seen them... you will have different opinion..."
"That's true, I am only a villager and know nothing about what secret agents are, but I have been taught by my parents, that we must become a loyal person. We must know how to repay the person who has helped us, and must not betray him in spite of everything. And you, are my savior. I will never betray anyone who has helped me, never!"
"Nayin..."
TSCHRIIINNG!