Chapter 161: Clear Skies After the Rain

The sharp light in Ye Xin's eyes was like the edge of a blade as he silently gazed at Tie Renhao, whose body suddenly began to tremble violently. "Ye Xin, I am already a man with one foot in the grave. Why must you torment me like this? Do you not... do you not think you are being too cruel?!"

"I am not joking," Ye Xin said calmly. "Tie Shudeng wants to kill me, but I am not someone who will sit idly by and wait for death. I can only fight to the very last moment. Between him and me, one of us is destined to die!"

Tie Renhao's pale face instantly turned a deep, bloodshot red. "Ye Xin, do you really intend to enthrone me as the Sovereign?"

"This is my last resort." Ye Xin sighed, wearing a helpless smile. "Your Tie family... really leaves me speechless! I was willing to share the nation's burdens, sparing no effort to lead three thousand condemned prisoners to maneuver against the hundreds of thousands of troops from the Dazhao State. This year, I even took enormous risks, plotting the death of Zhuang Buhuai. Yet how did Tie Xinsheng treat me? He actually used fabricated charges to ruin my wife. Now, I was willing to serve Tie Shudeng with utmost devotion. For days, I have been planning how to deploy troops against the Dazhao State and Dayu State next year, but Tie Shudeng wants to stab me in the back! Tie Renhao, what about you? How will you treat me? You haven't answered my question yet!"

"Ye Xin, just a moment ago, I thought I was a dead man! I never expected... that you would give me such an opportunity!" Tie Renhao suddenly let out a howl. "This is the grace of a second birth! I can swear that I will never forget this kindness! Never!"

"You don't want to avenge Tie Xinsheng?" Ye Xin asked.

"Royal Father..." Tie Renhao paused, then said through gritted teeth, "Royal Father naming Tie Shudeng as the heir apparent meant he had already abandoned me like a piece of garbage. For these past few days, even trying to see him has become a difficult task. Since that is the case, why should I be so self-righteous?!"

"Do you truly think so?" Ye Xin asked.

"Not just that!" Tie Renhao said excitedly. "I know the Tie family indeed owes the Ye family a great deal. You have done everything in your power to protect the foundation of the Dawei State, yet Royal Father actually plotted against the Wen family... Let alone you, if I were in your place, I would raise the banner of rebellion myself—I simply lack the ability to do so."

"Then what about Tie Shudeng? Will you avenge him?" Ye Xin asked. "I will kill him and enthrone you. One day, you can easily shift the blame onto me."

"Tie Shudeng? He is bent on harming me! I wish I could eat his flesh and drink his blood!" Tie Renhao cried out. "Rest assured, as long as I can sit upon that throne, I will immediately issue an imperial decree letting the whole world know that Tie Shudeng is a traitor to the state! His death is well-deserved!"

"You are in a desperate situation right now, which is why you are striving to win my trust. Once your position grows secure day by day, you might come to regard me as a thorn in your eye," Ye Xin said.

"Impossible! I know there are many areas where I cannot compare to Tie Shudeng, but in one respect I am certainly stronger than him: I have self-awareness," Tie Renhao said. "Going to the northern front this year and seeing those bloody scenes truly terrified me. I only endured it so as not to lose to Tie Shudeng. Once I become the Sovereign, you will be the Grand Marshal of the court! All military and state affairs will be decided by your single word; I will certainly not interfere."

"Oh?" Ye Xin's eyebrows twitched, and he was clearly moved.

"Furthermore, in the future, the City Defense Army and the Palace Guards will all be handed over to you. I will not even intervene in the selection of key commanders." Tie Renhao took a deep breath. "Ye Xin... to be honest, the person I fear the most is actually you. Royal Father is so formidable, yet he could not outmaneuver you, and without you, Tie Shudeng is worth nothing! To become the Sovereign—I am already more than satisfied. How could I possibly move against you? Royal Father's lesson is right before us; am I out of my mind?"

Ye Xin fell silent. Tie Renhao stared at him nervously, knowing his fate depended entirely on Ye Xin's decision.

"Tie Renhao, remember my words..." Ye Xin's voice suddenly grew very low and soft, seemingly imbued with an inexplicable, mesmerizing power. "And remember right now: you are standing inside the cage, and I am standing outside the cage. If you do not want to return here, never forget this. Through the long years, every time you wake from a dream, your memory must return to this moment: you, standing inside the cage, and I, standing outside the cage; you, standing inside the cage, and I, standing outside the cage; you, standing inside the cage, I..."

Ye Xin's voice grew lower and softer. Tie Renhao's eyes glazed over with a dazed expression, and his lips mumbled as if repeating Ye Xin's words.

After a few dozen breaths of time, Ye Xin suddenly snapped his fingers and gave a low shout: "Do you remember?!"

"I remember! I remember..." Tie Renhao snapped out of it as if waking from a dream.

"Yue Hu, come in." Ye Xin turned and commanded.

The iron door was opened, and Yue Hu hurried into the dungeon.

"Let His Highness out, and go find some wine and food for him. Oh... and prepare a tub; His Highness needs a bath," Ye Xin instructed.

"Understood," Yue Hu said with a flattering smile.

"Your Highness, please rest assured here for a few days. Once I have settled everything, I will naturally welcome Your Highness into the palace," Ye Xin said.

"Ye Xin, where are you going?" Tie Renhao cried out in a panic. In his eyes, Ye Xin was now his sole hope; he could not bear for Ye Xin to leave.

"Naturally, I am going to clear away the obstacles for Your Highness," Ye Xin smiled.

Standing inside the cage, Tie Renhao was suddenly choked with emotion. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he gazed foolishly at the departing figure of Ye Xin.

Walking outside, Xie E and Hao Fei came up to meet him. Xie E lowered his voice and asked, "My Lord, will that fellow be obedient in the future?"

"There will be no reversals," Ye Xin said. He had already planted a nightmare deep within Tie Renhao's memories. Every morning when Tie Renhao woke from deep sleep, he would involuntarily think of this dungeon and this nightmare. If his day had been relatively pleasant, the terror of the nightmare would only be magnified the following morning.

As long as Tie Renhao lived, he would suffer from endless, unceasing flashbacks. This was not something mere willpower could control; only Ye Xin could lift this curse from him.

This also meant that a state akin to Stockholm Syndrome would accompany Tie Renhao for the rest of his life.

"That's good, then our brothers won't have to live in constant anxiety," Xie E smiled. "My Lord, that fellow named Wang Meng has come looking for you. It seems he has some urgent matter."

"Oh?" Ye Xin pondered for a moment. "Let us return."

* * * *

Entering the main hall of the Ye residence, they saw Wang Meng and Xue Baiqi sitting together, talking loudly about something. Their spirits were high, and the atmosphere was lively.

"Brother Xin!" Seeing Ye Xin, Wang Meng hurriedly stood up and said with a grin, "I don't even know if it's still appropriate to call you 'Brother Xin.' You are already the Grand Marshal now, while I'm still just a small squad leader."

"Is that why you've been avoiding people?" Ye Xin smiled.

"I..." Wang Meng paused, his expression turning slightly bitter. "Brother Xin, you understand. I was caught between a rock and a hard place, so I could only pull my head in like a turtle, tuck my tail between my legs, and wait for the storm to pass."

"You think the storm has passed now?" Ye Xin asked.

On the surface, the conversation between Ye Xin and Wang Meng sounded completely normal—at least Xue Baiqi could detect no hidden meanings. But to Wang Meng, the person directly involved, every word Ye Xin uttered pierced straight to the heart. He could not help pausing once more. "I don't know, and I don't want to know. Brother Xin, I am leaving Jiuding City tomorrow."

"Oh? Where are you going?" Ye Xin was slightly startled.

"To the southern front," Wang Meng said. "The old man has already spoken with Grand Preceptor Deng. I'm going over there to build up some seniority and steer clear of the present spotlight."

"Didn't you say you wanted to join the Wolf Cavalry?" Ye Xin asked.

"Brother Xin, stop teasing me. With my current abilities, wouldn't you be embarrassed to have me in your ranks?" Wang Meng sighed. "After I spend some time cutting my teeth, I'll come back to find you."

"Very well. Since you've already decided, do as you see fit." Ye Xin nodded.

"See me off tomorrow, won't you? I have a lot of things I want to say to you," Wang Meng said.

"Alright. When are you leaving tomorrow?" Ye Xin asked.

"At dusk," Wang Meng replied.

"Why wait until so late?" Ye Xin asked, somewhat puzzled.

"There are still some things to take care of during the day," Wang Meng answered.

Ye Xin looked deeply at Wang Meng, then suddenly burst into laughter. Wang Meng was baffled. "Brother Xin, what... what are you laughing at? Could it be... that you feel a small fry like me isn't even worth the Grand Marshal personally seeing off?"

"I was just suddenly reminded of the saying 'excessive care leads to confusion.' With your shrewdness, you shouldn't have been flustered like this," Ye Xin said. "Very well, let's not speak of that. Tomorrow at dusk, wait for me at the foot of Nanshan outside the city. I'll bring some wine and food."

"Brother Xin, I find your words growing more and more cryptic and incomprehensible..." Wang Meng wryly smiled. "It's a deal, then!"

"Agreed," Ye Xin replied.

Wang Meng stood up, exchanged a smiling greeting with Xue Baiqi, and walked out. Xue Baiqi stood up as well, walking over to Ye Xin's side. "My Lord, didn't you hold him in high regard and want him to join the Wolf Cavalry? Why let him leave?"

"His heart is in turmoil. Keeping him here would do neither him nor us any good. Besides, he won't be going very far." Ye Xin leaned back in his chair, smiling faintly. "I find... my fortune really is turning now. Every single strategy feels as though it has divine assistance. Originally, I was going to have One-Eyed Deng camp at Feihong Bridge and wait for my military orders, but looking at it now... let him march through the night and rush to Jiuding City instead."

"My Lord, we haven't received any news from that side yet," Xue Baiqi was stunned.

"We already have," Ye Xin said calmly. "Tie Shudeng is going to make his move against me around dusk tomorrow."

"How..." Xue Baiqi suddenly understood. "Is that why Wang Meng asked you to see him off tomorrow?"

"Doesn't it seem a bit naive? Can things like this be avoided?" Ye Xin smiled. "He is shrewd, but his inner strength is still lacking. Realizing that fratricide is about to happen right before his eyes, he cannot bear it. Just as he said himself, he wants to find a shell, crawl inside, and wait for the storm to pass. Only... he also doesn't want to wrong me, so he's coming to help me one last time."