Chapter 450 Trust Me?

Chapter 450: Do You Trust Me?

Yun Xunyu didn't move. He just wrapped his arms around Chen Ge's waist and pulled him closer.

The force wasn't heavy, but it carried a persistence that wouldn't let go.

He lowered his head, leaning close to Chen Ge's ear. His warm breath brushed against the shell of his ear, tickling the skin.

"Sweetheart, give me a kiss."

His voice was low, laced with amusement, like he was coaxing a kid.

"One kiss, and I'll leave."

Chen Ge rubbed his cheek. He looked down at the porcelain bottle in his hand, then glanced left and right, making sure no one was around.

Then he tipped his head up and quickly brushed his lips against the corner of Yun Xunyu's mouth.

Like a dragonfly skimming the water's surface, he pulled back the moment contact was made. "Satisfied?"

The second the words were out, a hand suddenly pressed against the back of his head.

Chen Ge was stunned!

Before he could react, his lips were already captured.

This was not a dragonfly-skimming kiss. This was a slow, lingering kiss full of tenderness.

Yun Xunyu kissed slowly, over and over, as if savoring some delicacy, as if trying to remember every breath Chen Ge took.

Chen Ge was kissed until his head spun.

He clutched the porcelain bottle tightly in one hand, while the other stayed frozen in midair, not knowing where to put it.

It went on so long that Chen Ge felt like he couldn't breathe before Yun Xunyu finally released him.

His thumb brushed across the corner of Chen Ge's mouth, wiping away the moisture.

"Sweetheart's so eager—" He paused, his voice carrying a smile. "I don't want to leave now."

Chen Ge shoved him away, pushing hard with flustered anger. "Just go!"

Yun Xunyu staggered back a step from the push, but didn't seem bothered. He simply looked at him with a smile.

Firelight danced behind him, wrapping his whole body in a warm amber glow.

He stood there, weary from the road, and said, "So, sweetheart, remember to come find me."

Not "you should remember," not "don't forget," but "remember to come find me."

Like he was saying, I'll be waiting.

Chen Ge opened his mouth, about to say something, but nothing came out.

He just nodded. Yun Xunyu gently hooked his finger with Chen Ge's, then turned and vanished into the darkness.

His footsteps were light and quickly faded away.

Chen Ge stood there, staring at the corner where that figure had vanished.

All that was left was darkness. He looked down at the porcelain bottle in his hand.

It still held a little warmth. His fingertips slowly curled around it.

Chen Ge stood there in a daze, not knowing what he was thinking, just lost in thought.

Suddenly, a commotion broke out not far away!

Rapid footsteps, mixed with low shouts, and the faint clatter of armor.

Chen Ge's brow furrowed.

He quickly stuffed the bottle into his robes and turned, rushing toward the direction of the noise.

Passing through two corridors and cutting past a side hall, he spotted Zhou Xing.

He stood beneath the eaves, his expression as sour as if he'd swallowed a mouthful of bitter medicine.

Several imperial guards surrounded him, each looking grim.

Chen Ge hurried forward. "Commander Zhou, what's going on?"

Zhou Xing looked up. When he saw it was Chen Ge, his grim expression didn't improve at all.

"Chen Zhengqi's men are closing in on Qianqing Palace." His voice was low, every word forced out through gritted teeth. "They're planning to surround us here and finish us off."

Chen Ge's expression darkened. Though he'd known this would come, he hadn't expected it to come so soon.

Much faster than he'd expected, at least.

Chen Zhengqi couldn't wait any longer. He wanted to settle this once and for all.

Zhou Xing looked at him, about to speak, when hurried footsteps approached in the distance.

A guard came sprinting up, dropping to one knee, his voice trembling.

"Commander! Chen Zhengqi has sent a message."

Zhou Xing's brow furrowed. "Speak!"

The guard threw himself to the ground, not daring to raise his head.

"Chen Zhengqi says the Commander must hand over the Emperor and the two princes."

He swallowed hard. "If not... he will burn Qianqing Palace to the ground tonight and wipe out the traitors!"

As his words fell, a dead silence fell beneath the eaves. Chen Ge's hand slowly curled into a fist.

He raised his head, looking toward the distant night sky lit up with fire.

The silence beneath the eaves was almost suffocating. In the distance, the faint clink of armor could be heard.

Everyone stood frozen in place. No one spoke, yet that silence was heavier than any words.

They all knew perfectly well—this was Chen Zhengqi delivering his ultimatum.

If they still refused his demands this time, then none of them would survive the night.

But if they handed over the Crown Prince and the Emperor... with Chen Zhengqi's wolf-like ambition, they wouldn't live to see tomorrow.

Cheng Ge looked up at the distant night sky, ablaze with fire.

There, Chen Zhengqi's men were closing in, their blades practically at their throats.

Zhou Xing stood there, his face deathly pale.

His chest heaved violently as his gaze moved over the Imperial Guards' faces one by one.

Those young faces showed tension and fear, but not one of them stepped back.

Zhou Xing suddenly let out a faint laugh—so soft, yet it seemed to take everything he had.

"I eat the Great Zhou's grain."

He spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but every word was crystal clear to everyone.

"What I'm loyal to is the sovereign of the Great Zhou!"

He whirled around to face the guards, his voice rising sharply.

"Give the order—mobilize all forces, protect the Qianqing Palace!" His voice rang out in the night wind. "Vow to protect His Majesty!"

"Yes—!" The guards answered in unison, armor clattering like thunder, blades drawn one after another.

Cheng Ge stood nearby, watching, an indescribable feeling welling in his chest.

But before he could speak—

"Bad news! Bad news!" A shrill cry came from behind.

A palace attendant stumbled forward, face deathly pale, trembling all over.

He threw himself before Zhou Xing, knees buckling as he fell, "Commander! His Majesty... His Majesty is..."

Everyone's face changed, and Cheng Ge's heart sank. Without a word, he raced toward the bedchamber!

—

Inside the bedchamber, candles burned brightly.

Zhou Mingqi lay on the bed, his face a sickly gray, lips tinged with purple.

His breathing was rapid and erratic, chest heaving violently, a rasping rattle in his throat.

Several attendants knelt by the bed, scrambling around, helpless.

A young eunuch held a bowl of medicine, hands shaking so badly the liquid splashed out, while an older attendant held a cloth, trembling as she wiped the cold sweat from Zhou Mingqi's brow.

Zhou Zhan knelt before the bed, gripping Zhou Mingqi's hand—it was ice-cold and faintly trembling.

"Father... Father..."

Zhou Mingqi's eyelids twitched but wouldn't open.

Suddenly, his body arched up—"Pfft!" A mouthful of black blood sprayed out!

The blood splattered across the bedding and onto Zhou Zhan's sleeve, and Zhou Zhan's face turned white in an instant.

"Father—!"

The attendants rushed forward in panic, some handing cloths, others trying to steady him.

But blood continued to pour from Zhou Mingqi's mouth, in waves, unstoppable.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" The bedchamber descended into chaos.

When Cheng Ge burst in, that's what he saw.

His heart sank—he knew the poison could no longer be held back.

Zhou Zhan looked up and saw him, eyes reddening, "Muyu... Father, he..."

Cheng Ge said nothing. His hand reached into his robe and found the porcelain bottle.

The bottle still held a bit of warmth. Cheng Ge closed his eyes.

He pulled out the bottle, uncorked it, and tipped out all ten pills.

Zhou Zhan froze.

"Muyu... you..."

Cheng Ge didn't say anything. He turned and walked to the table, pouring half a cup of warm water from the teapot.

Then, he picked up two pills, put them in his mouth, and swallowed them with a sip of water.

Zhou Zhan opened his mouth as if to speak, but nothing came out.

He just watched Cheng Ge.

Watched him drop the remaining eight pills into the cup, watched them slowly dissolve, watched the clear water gradually turn into a murky medicine.

Cheng Ge picked up the cup and walked to the bedside. He forced open Zhou Mingqi's mouth and poured the medicine in bit by bit.

Zhou Mingqi's throat bobbed as he swallowed, and the bedchamber fell silent.

Everyone held their breath, staring at Zhou Mingqi on the bed.

A few breaths passed, then a few more.

Finally, Zhou Mingqi's breathing gradually steadied, the gray fading from his face, the purple on his lips fading too.

The older attendant checked his breathing, then checked again, and suddenly cried out joyfully.

"His Majesty... His Majesty's breathing has stabilized!"

Zhou Zhan's legs nearly gave way, and he almost collapsed, gripping the bed frame and gasping for air before finally pulling himself together.

He turned and looked at Cheng Ge.

Cheng Ge stood there, still holding the empty porcelain bottle, before tucking it back into his robe.

The bedchamber went quiet for a moment, leaving only the sound of Zhou Mingqi's steady breathing.

Zhou Zhan still knelt before the bed, holding Zhou Mingqi's hand, eyes red, looking at Cheng Ge with an expression too complicated to describe.

Cheng Ge didn't stay. He turned and strode out.

---

Zhou Xing was still standing under the eaves.

The firelight in the distance had crept closer than before, and he could faintly hear the clank of armor and the thud of footsteps.

Cheng Ge walked up to him. "Commander Zhou," he said.

Zhou Xing turned his head, his gaze a mix of worry and grim resolve.

Cheng Ge lowered his voice, and the first words out of his mouth made Zhou Xing frown.

"His Majesty has to leave."

Zhou Xing froze.

Cheng Ge continued, "As long as there's life, there's hope. Chen Zhengqi's after His Majesty and the Crown Prince. As long as they're in the Qianqing Palace, he won't let up..."

Zhou Xing's brow furrowed even deeper. "I get all that. But we're outnumbered, and Chen Zhengqi's men have already got most of the Qianqing Palace surrounded." There was a bitter edge to his voice. "With the men we've got, breaking out is going to be tough."

Cheng Ge looked at him for a moment, then spoke up. "Commander Zhou."

His voice wasn't loud, but every word landed clear as a bell in Zhou Xing's ears.

"Do you trust me?"

Zhou Xing blinked, caught off guard.

He looked at Cheng Ge, at those eyes that blazed in the firelight.

There was no panic in them, no fear—just something weighty.

It was confidence. It was a plan. It was the calm of someone who'd already figured out the way out.

Zhou Xing studied him for a long moment, then cracked a faint smile.

The smile was faint, but it carried a hint of relief.

"Lord Cheng," he said, each word deliberate, "if I didn't trust you, I wouldn't have listened to a word you just said."

The corner of Cheng Ge's mouth twitched.

Zhou Xing went on, "So what's the plan?"

Cheng Ge looked out at the night sky blazing in the distance, where Chen Zhengqi's men were closing in, their torches painting half the sky orange.

After a beat, he leaned in close to Zhou Xing's ear and murmured something.

Zhou Xing listened, his brow creasing at first, but as Cheng Ge's words sank in one by one, his eyes flew wide, pupils shrinking to pinpricks.

He whipped his head around, staring at Cheng Ge in utter disbelief.

"No way!" His voice was barely a whisper, but it was urgent. "We can't do that!"

Cheng Ge didn't back down. He met Zhou Xing's eyes, his face turning grave.

"Got any other ideas?"

Zhou Xing opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

Cheng Ge held his gaze and went on. "Commander Zhou, you said it yourself—as a subject, you eat Great Zhou's grain, so your loyalty belongs to Great Zhou's emperor.

You know that a few months back, I was sent by the King to look into corruption in Yuanzhou.

Everyone knows Yuanzhou is rotten to the core, but hardly anyone knows—where did all that embezzled money actually go?"

Zhou Xing's brow furrowed.

Cheng Ge pressed on. "And then there's the arms deals with the Northern Di, the Southern barbarians, and the Western Rong.

That's a death sentence. If you're going to be corrupt, there are plenty of other ways to skim. Why go after the court's salt and iron monopoly?"

His voice wasn't loud, but every word hit like a red-hot nail.

"Why are they so brazen? Even the strongest local powers can't outmuscle the capital. Aren't they scared of the Emperor's wrath?"

Zhou Xing's heart lurched as he listened.

"Lord Cheng, you mean..." His voice came out rough. "Is what happened in Yuanzhou actually tied to Chen Zhengqi?"

The moment the words left his mouth, he knew it was a stupid question.

If someone hadn't been covering for them, Yuanzhou's officials wouldn't have rotted that deep.

Cheng Ge stepped closer.

"Lord Zhou," he said, his voice low. "If Chen Zhengqi really takes power, our lives are the least of it—what about the people of Great Zhou?"

Zhou Xing's breath hitched.

"Years of war have already ground the people down. If someone like that takes the throne, Great Zhou will never see peace."

Cheng Ge looked him dead in the eye, each word measured. "Commander Zhou, you know how serious this is. You know what matters."

Zhou Xing went quiet. The firelight flickered behind him, throwing his tangled expression into shifting light and shadow.

In the distance, the clank of armor grew louder. Chen Zhengqi's men were closing in.

He opened his mouth, about to speak—

"His Majesty's awake! His Majesty's awake!"

An urgent shout burst from inside the hall, ripping through the silence under the eaves.

Cheng Ge didn't hesitate. He spun around and hurried toward the bedchamber, nearly running.

Behind him, Zhou Xing's gaze landed on his back, heavy and complicated.

But Cheng Ge didn't have time to worry about that. He pushed open the door to the bedchamber.

Candlelight flooded out to meet him. In the warm amber glow, Zhou Mingqi was propped up on the bed.

His face was still pale, and the purple on his lips had mostly faded, but he still looked terribly frail.

His eyes were half-lidded, his eyelids too heavy to lift. At the sound of footsteps, he cracked them open a sliver.

Cheng Ge hurried over and knelt by the bed. "Your Majesty."