Chapter 469: Chapter 476: Death and Rebirth for the Young Guys
 

Liu Xiu, though he had studied at the Imperial College for many years, was not the fragile scholar one might assume; he also possessed some martial arts skills. Moreover, having led troops in battle over the past few years, he was not frightened when Liu Kuan suddenly drew his sword. He simply placed his hand on the hilt of his own sword, preparing to draw it, when Han Yu had already outpaced him and stepped forward without hesitation.

Seeing Han Yu guarding him so resolutely warmed Liu Xiu’s heart and moved him considerably. In the past, he had been too suspicious, always doubting Han Yu’s intentions. However, Han Yu’s actions over these days had time and again proven his loyalty. Otherwise, the position of My Lord would not have fallen to him. Although he still did not understand why Han Yu would do this, after all, everyone has desires and ambitions—who would willingly choose to follow another when they could lead?

Liu Xiu’s thoughts began to drift, but soon enough, he had no more time to contemplate, as he saw Liu Kuan thrusting his sword towards himself.

“My Lord, although I am weak and suspected, I do not regret following you. Now that things have come to this pass, and I am of no use to you, I might as well die to prove my innocence and be of some last use. As long as you do not fall for the enemy’s schemes, I will die without regrets.”

Liu Kuan was ruthless; to achieve his goal, he was hard on others and even harsher on himself. As he spoke, without any hesitation, he aimed the tip of his sword at his own heart and thrust it in. People hardly had time to stop him.

“Brother Liu, don’t!” Several people who believed in Liu Kuan’s innocence shouted in unison, hoping he would not do something foolish. There was no need for such drastic measures—why joke with one’s life?

Before one could say it was too late, a minor officer next to Liu Kuan saw what was happening and quickly reached out to pull him back, trying to prevent Liu Kuan’s attempt at suicide. However, since Liu Kuan was resolute in his intentions, he couldn’t be stopped, only managing to slightly alter the force of Liu Kuan’s thrust, causing the blade to veer slightly off course.

Yin Shi, standing by, was somewhat surprised by Liu Kuan’s actions, but he wasn’t moved at all. He only thought Liu Kuan was terribly cunning, trying to use such a method to regain Liu Xiu’s trust. He even wished the blade would take Liu Kuan’s life for good, thinking Liu Kuan’s death wouldn’t erase the suspicion of being a traitor. Even if Liu Kuan wasn’t the traitor, a person like him was too dangerous to have around. Yin Shi found him more terrifying than Han Yu. Although Han Yu was competent, he disdained such pretense and ingratiating behavior, while Liu Kuan could strike a deadly blow if given the chance.

Unfortunately, upon seeing the blade’s trajectory change, Yin Shi knew Liu Kuan wouldn’t die from this wound. Whatever his intentions might have been, Liu Xiu couldn’t allow Liu Kuan to die unjustly before everyone. However, that was probably exactly what Liu Kuan was banking on.

If someone else were in the situation, they might believe Liu Kuan was innocent and therefore sought to prove his innocence through death. But Yin Shi was a paranoid man, and once he made up his mind, he wouldn’t change it. His gut told him Liu Kuan was a dangerous man, extremely so.

As expected, Yin Shi wasn’t wrong. The moment Liu Kuan stabbed himself, Liu Xiu immediately called out, “Quick, hold him, and summon the doctor right away! We must not let him be harmed!”

Liu Xiu’s face was ashen as he ordered the guards beside him, not knowing if it was because Liu Kuan had forced his hand to save a spy, or if he regretted ‘wrongly accusing’ Liu Kuan. His mood was certainly far from good.

Han Yu had a stony face, showing no change in expression, but his mood was definitely not any better. He was very sure that Chen Chu and Liu Kuan were traitors, absolutely beyond doubt; he just hadn’t expected Liu Kuan to be even more troublesome than imagined, willing to go to such lengths to ensure his own survival. Anyone finding their enemy to be so cunning would be displeased.

“No, My Lord, there’s no need. I already resolved to die today, and besides, you no longer trust me. My life has no meaning left in this world. It would be better to go like this, concluding the loyalty between us,” Liu Kuan said, before a mouthful of fresh blood sprayed from his mouth, spattering the ground and appearing especially desolate.

Liu Xiu couldn’t bear it, especially in front of so many people. Regardless of his true thoughts, showing doubt at this moment would dishearten everyone. Just as he was about to say something to console Liu Kuan, a straightforward man who usually got along well with Liu Kuan spoke up first.

“Brother Liu, please do not say more. You’ve proven your innocence with your life. If My Lord still doubts you, that would be too cold-hearted. He has always been lenient; he’s not that kind of person. We all saw what happened. How could you possibly be the traitor? If anyone slanders you, they are picking a fight with all of us. Hold on, the doctor is on his way. You must survive,” the man pleaded earnestly.

Once he started, others joined in: “Yes, Lieutenant Liu, you must hold on. Although we soldiers are not afraid of death, it should be a death of value on the battlefield, a fitting end. Dying like this would be such an injustice, without worth, and playing right into the enemy’s trap. So, you must survive. My Lord will surely clear your name.”

“Indeed, don’t think too much. There will be a time when the truth of the matter is uncovered. Dying is the last resort, and after all, you’ve been by my side for many years. You know the kind of person I, Liu Xiu, am. You should believe in me; I won’t let you suffer any injustice,” said Liu Xiu when he finally got a chance to speak. His words, though ostensibly supportive of Liu Kuan, were qualified.

By this time, Liu Xiu’s guards had already brought the Military Doctor, who was panting from the rush to arrive. Doctors have the heart of a parent, and regardless of what had happened, the Military Doctor’s first action was to attend to Liu Kuan’s wounds.

“Doctor, how is he? Whatever it takes, you must save him. Let me know whatever you need,” said Liu Xiu with concern, his face full of worry.

Yin Shi, too, had come to his senses; although he secretly wished for Liu Kuan’s death, he couldn’t show that openly. Moreover, since it was his own ‘aggressive questioning’ that had led to Liu Kuan’s attempt to prove his innocence, any negative emotions now would invite speculation from those present. He, too, looked earnestly toward the Military Doctor.

“Yes, Doctor, you must find a way to heal him. Otherwise, I won’t be at peace. I shouldn’t have listened to rumors to doubt Brother Liu in the first place. It’s all my fault for putting Liu in this state. Ah, we’ve fallen for the Thief’s cunning plan!” lamented Yin Shi, slapping himself while wearing an expression of regret and worry.

The Military Doctor, seeing Yin Shi’s performative actions, couldn’t help but criticize internally: Do you really want the patient to recover? Shouldn’t you be treating his injuries first before discussing anything else? Like this, you might delay a condition that could have been treated.