Chapter 756: 753: Resolve for a Battle to the Death_1

Chapter 756: Chapter 753: Resolve for a Battle to the Death_1

Xuanjia heard the sound and turned around, looking at Emperor Yan hesitantly. Then he looked at Xiao Rongyan, his fists clenched tightly.

“It’s useless! The journey is long, and I’m afraid I won’t hold out until Xuanjia arrives in Shuoyang…” Although Murong Yu didn’t want to die and still longed to see a unified and peaceful country, he knew his own body.

This time, his heart and lungs were injured, and he feared he wouldn’t survive. Why tire Xuanjia with a long journey and make Doctor Hong take a useless trip?

“What kind of discouraging words are these!” Xiao Rongyan’s throat tightened as he grasped Murong Yu’s hand firmly. “Mother is watching over us from the heavens. Brother, you’ll be fine! What’s more, Yan is at a critical juncture. For the sake of Yan, you must hold on!”

Murong Yu looked at his solemn-faced younger brother and chuckled lightly. “With you, Ah Yan, Yan is in good hands… I am at ease.”

“But because you are here, Brother, I can safely travel to other countries!” Xiao Rongyan squeezed Murong Yu’s hand tightly. He harbored deep emotions, accumulated over the years, from watching his loved ones pass away one by one. “Brother, you will be fine!”

“Ah Yan, I am glad to go and see Mother…” Murong Yu’s lips curled into a faint smile. “Living so many years is already a gift from the heavens; I have no complaints! But not witnessing your marriage to the Princess of Zhen, I fear I can’t face Mother after I go. Ah Yan… life is short; do not let it slip by!”

Xiao Rongyan bit his lip hard, holding back a sob. He maintained his composure and looked up at Murong Yu. “Stop taking Doctor Hong’s medicine for now. Use the hemostatic medicine first. It might be uncomfortable, but please bear with it! The Crown Prince is mediocre and can’t handle major responsibilities. If you’re gone, Kuntian City will fall into chaos. The Empress and the Crown Prince won’t be able to control it! Our entire nation of Yan has struggled to get to this point. If you stop here and watch Kuntian City fall into turmoil, Yan will fracture again! We owe it to Mother… to our ancestors, and most importantly, to the people of Yan who have suffered with us!”

Murong Yu saw the pain in Xiao Rongyan’s heart, masked by a solemn expression, fully focused on the bigger picture. He suddenly felt like his younger brother was still that child who tried to stay calm in everything, not wanting him to worry.

Murong Yu’s eyes reddened slightly, and he nodded. “Alright, I will hold on a bit longer. I will go to Mother later. I must see you get married first.”

His tone was like coaxing a child.

But how could Murong Yu not know his own body? Indeed, he couldn’t last long.

He had been bedridden, suffering for years. Murong Yu was never afraid of death but feared that his death would sadden his wife and brother even more, and he was especially worried… that if he died, his always timid and weak wife would follow him in death.

In this world, wanting to die is easy, but wanting to live is hard.

“How about this? I will figure out a way to guard Longan City!” Xiao Rongyan made up his mind. “Have Uncle Feng and Xuanjia escort Brother to Shuoyang. Doctor Feng will surely have a way!”

Murong Yu shook his head. “I still can’t leave. If I go, the morale will scatter! If the morale scatters, Longan City will fall. If Longan City falls and the Xiliang army crosses Liyi and the Tianqu River, the capital of Yan will be in grave danger!”

“Don’t worry, Brother, with me here… Longan City won’t fall.” Xiao Rongyan made up his mind and turned to call Feng Yao. “Uncle Feng!”

Feng Yao responded and walked in quickly. “Young master!”

“Uncle Feng, please immediately prepare to escort my brother lightly and swiftly with Xuanjia. Xuanjia will lead people to Shuoyang’s Bai Mansion to borrow Doctor Hong first, then return to meet my brother!” Xiao Rongyan instructed.

This would be faster than having Xuanjia make a round trip to bring Doctor Hong to Longan City.

“Yes!”

Feng Yao and Xuanjia responded in unison, with Feng Yao getting up to pack.

“Ninth Uncle, I will escort Father to the Jin Kingdom!” Murong Li stepped forward to ask for the task.

“You stay!” Xiao Rongyan looked steadily at Murong Li. “Father’s journey to the Jin Kingdom must be kept secret. You escort Father’s carriage back to the capital, Jinling, claiming the Emperor is returning to the capital to recuperate. For the Longan battlefield… I, Prince Murong Rongyan of Yan, will take over.”

If something were truly to happen to Brother this time, Yan couldn’t be left without a leader. Among the many nephews… the only capable one was Xiao Ali!

Murong Li was already precocious and naturally understood Xiao Rongyan’s intentions.

His Ninth Uncle wanted him to go back to Jinling, just in case Father didn’t make it, so he could take control of Jinling first, ascend the throne, and stabilize the situation.

But Murong Li didn’t want this. He didn’t want the throne; he just wanted his father, brother, and uncle to be well.

“Xiao Ali, you are no longer a child. Learn to share your father’s burden! Ninth Uncle will help you!” Xiao Rongyan clasped Murong Li’s shoulder, the heavy responsibility seemingly falling upon Murong Li’s shoulders as well.

“Ali is still young and can’t bear Yan’s burden,” Murong Yu frowned. “This responsibility should fall on you.”

“Brother has three sons, and it should never fall on me! I can assist… but I cannot take over!” Xiao Rongyan looked at Murong Yu. “As long as Doctor Hong treats you, Brother has all the time in the world to personally teach Ali. Why worry that Ali can’t bear the responsibility?”

Murong Yu’s eyebrows furrowed as he looked into Xiao Rongyan’s deep, intense eyes…

Murong Yu had always known that Xiao Rongyan was more suitable to be an emperor than he was. His ambition, aspiration… and capability made him far more suitable to be an emperor. He also knew that Xiao Rongyan aspired to be a monarch who could unify the world. If it were someone else, they would have already seized the opportunity upon learning about his imminent demise. But Ah Yan, because of familial ties, was reluctant to step forward.

Knowing that further argument was in vain, Murong Yu allowed his brother to make the arrangements.

That afternoon, Prince Murong Li personally led the army to fight Xiliang. Murong Yu, the Emperor of Yan, was publicly escorted by Prince Murong Li back to the capital for treatment but was actually escorted by the old eunuch Feng Yao and hidden guards towards Shuoyang. Xuanjia set out first to quickly bring Doctor Hong from Shuoyang.

On July 27th of the seventeenth year of Xuanjia, Prince Murong Rongyan of Yan held Longan City, exhausting Xiliang’s supplies. He sent a small team to Xiliang’s supply route, setting their provisions ablaze. The next day, Xiliang’s fierce general Ge Zhenan decided to attack the city desperately and provoked under the city wall. He was decapitated by Prince Murong Rongyan of Yan, forcing Xiliang to retreat to Longhu Platform.

On July 28th of the seventeenth year of Xuanjia, a sudden plague outbreak in Daliang bore symptoms similar to the epidemic in Huayang City. The Crown Prince of the Jin Kingdom sent an envoy to Daliang, stating that if Daliang submitted, they would be given the cure. The Emperor of Daliang killed the Jin envoy to show his determination to fight to the end.