Volume 1, Chapter 62: Siblings

Since Shen Ran had already knelt, Xue Nian naturally could not remain seated and immediately dropped to his knees as well.

Wen Ruosong turned pale with fright. His aged frame trembled, and he nearly tumbled from his chair.

No matter how ruthless Shen Ran was, he remained the Emperor, the most noble sovereign in the entire Great Zhou!

It had always been others kneeling before him; there was never a precedent for him to kneel to anyone else!

The weight of this kneeling was simply too immense!

After a brief, deathly silence, Wen Ruosong dropped to his knees with a heavy thud opposite Shen Ran. With tears welling in his eyes, he grasped Shen Ran's hands and choked out, "Your Majesty! Your Majesty! This old minister has devoted his entire life's passion and decades of time to the empire of Great Zhou—you must not deceive this old minister!"

Shen Ran looked quietly at Wen Ruosong.

Compared to the old man's agitation, he appeared extraordinarily calm.

Immediately afterward, a sharp shard of stone sliced across his fingertip, and a single drop of blood fell upon the ground.

Shen Ran said, "I swear this in blood, with absolute truth and no falsehood."

This was the most solemn oath recognized in Great Zhou.

"Very well, very well, very well!"

Tears streamed down Wen Ruosong's weathered face. "I only ask Your Majesty to grant this old minister nine days. After nine days, this old minister will certainly give Your Majesty an answer!"

………

It was already late at night when they returned to the Grand General's Manor. Xue Nian and Shen Ran retired to their respective rooms to rest.

When Xue Nian pushed open his bedroom door, he found Xue Wu waiting for him inside. Pausing in surprise, he strode unceremoniously to the table, pulled out a chair, and sat down with a light chuckle. "Well now, the Emperor has been away the entire day, yet instead of staying in your room to whisper sweet nothings with him, you actually remembered your poor, unloved brother."

Xue Wu's cheeks flushed slightly at his teasing. Lowering her gaze, she murmured, "Brother, you are always so improper."

Seeing his traditionally aloof younger sister display such a charming, girlish demeanor, Xue Nian knew that her relationship with Shen Ran of late was genuinely affectionate and not merely a superficial facade put on for outsiders. This realization set his mind considerably at ease.

He laughed heartily, stood up, and made a formal bow to Xue Wu. "Accustomed to the roughness of the military camps, I always speak without a filter. Sister, do not hold it against me."

Xue Wu hurriedly pulled him back down to his seat.

As the siblings chatted idly, Xue Nian deliberately coaxed her, sharing one amusing anecdote after another, until he soon had Xue Wu beaming with smiles.

They had not seen each other in years, and since returning to the manor, they had scarcely had a chance to exchange a few words. Coupled with Xue Wu's reserved and quiet nature, a slight sense of estrangement had been inevitable between them. Yet now, that distance instantly vanished, and the two of them were transported right back to the days of their childhood, chasing and teasing one another.

Xue Wu held a steaming cup of tea in her hands, occasionally reaching out to grab a handful of nuts from the table, her posture entirely relaxed. "Brother, was your journey with the Emperor smooth overall?"

"Fairly smooth, generally speaking."

Xue Nian wore a half-smile. "The Emperor seems to have changed a great deal."

At these words, Xue Wu was momentarily startled before nodding in agreement. "Indeed. It truly feels like a dream."

"Still, that can only be considered a good thing."

"I never would have imagined there could be such a day."

Her words carried a profound sense of lingering emotion.

Xue Nian took a leisurely sip of his tea. "Quite so. With you in the palace from now on, Father, Mother, and I can finally set our minds at ease. Take good care of yourself; leave things at home to me."

His tone possessed an innate, reassuring strength. Xue Wu nodded, then added, "You must take care of yourself too, Brother! These past two days have truly frightened me. After all, the Emperor is the ruler of the nation; when you are in his presence, you really should restrain yourself a little."

"I have already restrained myself quite enough."

Tapping his index finger lightly against the table, Xue Nian chuckled again. "You do not understand."

Xue Wu looked at him. "What is there that I do not understand?"

Yet Xue Nian refused to offer any further explanation.

If one wished to play the humble subordinate, there could be no bottom line to how low one stooped. Today you endure humiliation and learn to bark like a dog; tomorrow you might have to endure gnawing on bones like a dog. He was already discontented within himself, and since Shen Ran harbored resentment and suspicion toward him, playing along and amusing the Emperor might still not win his genuine trust. Rather than acting overly cautious, it was better to recklessly reveal a few flaws, which might actually make it easier for them to deal with one another.

Knowing his brother's stubborn temperament all too well, Xue Wu realized that once he had decided not to speak, even breaking a stick over his back would not force it out of him; it was impossible to pry answers from him with just a few words.

Sighing inwardly, Xue Wu had no choice but to drop the subject and bring up the true purpose of her visit. "Brother, the Emperor mentioned that the injury on your shoulder is quite severe and feared it might cause lasting problems, so he privately arranged for an imperial physician to come and properly examine your wound."

Xue Nian blinked. "…?"

Slightly taken aback, Xue Nian asked, "Which imperial physician?"

Xue Wu replied, "It is Jiang Jinzhi, the physician responsible for attending to the Emperor on this trip. Do not let his youth fool you; his medical skills are truly exceptional. However, to avoid arousing suspicion, he can only be smuggled in secretly at night."

Xue Nian gave a soft laugh. "Then I must truly thank His Majesty for his thoughtfulness."

Xue Wu said, "He is currently resting in the guest room. Wait here a moment, Brother, and I will have someone summon him."

Xue Nian nodded. "Very well."