LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 39 - II
“It actually hurts, but it’ll be fine after one night. Uncle, don’t worry.” Feng Chilie said.
“Who is worried about you?” Chu Minghan rolled his eyes angrily and questioned, “Why the charade with a broken leg? Is it because of Tuoba Rou?”
“Yes,” Feng Chilie nodded. “I don’t trust Tuoba Rou. Ba Zheng, that old guy, is willing to marry off his precious daughter.”
“You carry the blood of the Tuoba clan,” Chu Minghan sighed. “Why do you harbor such disgust towards them?”
Feng Chilie fell silent. After a while, the once sweet pastries in his mouth lost their flavor.
He chuckled darkly and mocked, “Who could like a mother who attempts to murder her own children.”
Chu Minghan was stunned, taking a moment to react.
Feng Chilie added, “A few days ago, I discovered that someone had tampered with the medicine I drank, so I discreetly investigated, and the results were somewhat unexpected.”
“Did Tuoba Lan have someone mix something in?” Chu Minghan remained skeptical. “Could you have made an error in your investigation?”
“I wish I had made an error. After all, she’s my biological mother. But considering it from certain angles, this possibility doesn’t seem impossible.” Feng Chilie’s voice tightened. “I want to confirm it.”
Chu Minghan asked, “How do you plan to verify it?”
“I heard about Pingchuan. The cold disaster outbreak is imminent,” Feng Chilie calmly explained. “News will arrive in the next few days. My uncle will send me there, firstly to confirm my suspicion, secondly to investigate the mysterious disappearance of the supplies, and thirdly to avoid entanglement in the crown prince’s dispute.”
“How will you verify it?” Chu Minghan frowned. “I can’t send Tuoba Lan there, and she’s still guarding the pass with your little brother.”
“She’ll get there on her own,” Feng Chilie said. “Uncle Fu mentioned that Tan Chuyan will wake up in a day or two. I believe my little brother will be eager to return home immediately upon Tan Chuyan’s awakening. So, considering the timing, if Tan Chuyan wakes up in a day or two, and the cold disaster news arrives in the same timeframe, it aligns perfectly. At that time, I’ll ask ‘Nama’ to deliver a letter,” Feng Chilie outlined his plan.
“With ‘Nama’s’ speed, we can intercept them on the road. Knowing my mother, she’ll definitely inquire from Ji Bei about the news I sent.” Feng Chilie paused, and his voice was slightly hoarse. “If she truly intends harm to her son, she’ll likely head to Pingchuan with the Wolf Eagle Cavalry and await an attack.”
Chu Minghan felt uneasy. “What if she wants to stay in Pingchuan? To assist you?”
“She won’t!” Feng Chilie asserted. “Everyone can see that my mother desires my little brother to take over the Wolf Eagle Cavalry. However, the Wolf Eagle Cavalry is no longer what she and father established. It’s practically all my people. If my little brother wants control, he must eliminate me first, leaving the wolves leaderless and the eagles isolated, creating a new king.”
“If,” Chu Minghan asked, “If Tuoba Lan really stays and genuinely plans to harm you, what will you do?”
Feng Chilie’s hand gripped the armrest, knuckles turning white. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, letting the fresh and cool air fill his entire chest.
After a long time, Feng Chilie exhaled, relaxed his hands, rubbed his face heavily, and shook his head: “I don’t know…”
“But,” Feng Chilie looked at Chu Minghan, pity in his eyes. “I still want to verify. After all, my life is already hanging by a thread. Even if I don’t know how to face Tuoba Lan, I can at least save my life.”
Feng Chilie stood up and knelt down. “Please grant it, Your Majesty!”
Chu Minghan observed the somewhat lonely and bowed back, sighing. “That’s enough. I will assist you.”
It didn’t matter if he bore the burden of appearing inconsiderate to courtiers; after all, who compelled him to become a relative of Feng family.
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Feng Chilie nodded.
Chu Minghan gestured for him to rise. “Go back; I also need to rest.”
“The minister will leave.”
Feng Chilie vanished into the dark passage, the pitiful look in his eyes instantly replaced by a sinister and ruthless expression.
Did he truly not know how to face Tuoba Rou?
No.
Feng Chilie understood it very well!
If Tuoba Rou genuinely intended to kill Feng Chilie, then their paths would diverge from that point forward.
Feng Chilie would personally escort her back to the Xibo tribe, never to cross paths again. He would consider himself an orphan without a mother.
However, such expressions and thoughts must not be displayed in front of Chu Minghan.
Chu Minghan was a king, and throughout history, the relationship between kings and ministers had always been distinct, regardless of the strength of their bond.
If Chu Minghan were to learn about his plans to remove Tuoba Rou, he would likely become wary and suspicious. Even the reason behind pretending to have a broken leg to avoid a dispute between the crown prince must remain unknown.
Once exposed, Chu Minghan might start fearing that, driven by a thirst for power, Feng Chilie would use his elite soldiers and generals to remove him from the throne, reshaping Jing Kingdom in a new image.
However, appearing pitiful and confused would elicit Chu Minghan’s sympathy, especially considering his deep affection for his late aunt. In this guise, Chu Minghan would feel sorry for his nephew on behalf of his aunt.
Simultaneously, if Tuoba Lan were to push Feng Chilie to the point of retaliation in the future, Chu Minghan would not hold back.
Because he would be compelled to act.
Of course, Chu Minghan would not stand idly by if his most trusted general, the unwavering bulwark of the Jing Kingdom, were to be harmed by a woman from Xibo. Such an event would throw the entire Jing Kingdom into turmoil.