199: Chapter 199 I Bear the Infamy of a Thousand Years

The moment his figure fully appeared on the Command Platform, the originally solemn and chilling military camp instantly erupted.

Countless gazes, like scorching flames, focused on him.

Su Chen saw reverence and excitement.

Most of it came from the people of the Zheng Territory whom he had saved back then.

"As expected..."

"Sowing a seed."

"Will eventually lead to a flower blooming."

"Long live the King!"

It was unclear who was the first to roar out.

Immediately after, cheers like a mountain tsunami echoed above the camp.

Many soldiers already had tears in their eyes.

The people of the Zheng Territory knew how their King had worked alongside them in the fields.

The soldiers of Zhaoge knew how he had sacrificed himself at the Altar of Heaven to resist the divine punishment, spending three months struggling back from the Ghost Gate.

Such a monarch was worth dying for.

Su Chen raised his hand, pressing down the surging waves of sound.

He did not give any impassioned pre-war mobilization speech.

He simply used a calm and clear voice to explain that plan, which was cruel to the extreme.

Bit by bit, he spoke it all without reservation.

From utilizing the terrain of the Star-Plucking Tower to how he would create the illusion of luring the enemy alone.

Then to the most critical step.

Led by Su Daji, and under the very eyes of all the Western Zhou pursuers, the Star-Plucking Tower containing the 'Tyrant King Zhou' would be set ablaze.

He would use his life to exchange for the innocence of Su Daji and all the soldiers and civilians of Zhaoge present.

After hearing Su Chen's plan,

the vast military camp fell into a deathly silence.

There was only the sound of heavy, suppressed breathing and the grinding of teeth.

"Hehehe..."

"No, Your Majesty."

"This general would rather die in battle than ever do such a thing!"

A bearded old general standing at the very front of the ranks suddenly knelt down.

Old tears streamed down his face.

He had watched Su Chen grow up since childhood.

Su Chen was born in the deep palace, during the days when the Yin Shang Dynasty was still prosperous.

Though he lived a life of luxury from a young age, as the crown prince,

he had always been instilled with one concept:

He was the master of the world.

His life did not entirely belong to himself, but to all the people of the Yin Shang Dynasty.

This was the philosophy upheld by generations of Shang emperors.

It was also the reason why the Yin Shang Dynasty had remained peaceful for over four hundred years.

Su Chen ascended the throne as a youth.

Over all these years, the old general had watched Su Chen fulfill almost everything a monarch could do.

He had even seen him play the role of a 'two-faced' tyrant.

He had seen it all.

But,

under the orchestration of the Heavenly Dao, the Yin Shang Dynasty still slowly slid toward decline.

In a daze, the old general realized

that the monarch before him, who should have been young,

now looked even older than he did at some unknown point in time.

In Su Chen's life,

he had held many identities.

But even now, as his life was about to end and his path fade away,

his plan still included many people,

yet, it excluded only himself.

Under the old general's lead, the countless soldiers and civilians behind him also knelt together.

They drew their blades and unsheathed their swords,

pointing them collectively toward the cloud-covered sky.

"Your Majesty, let us protect you as we fight our way out."

"Even if we have to give our lives, we will send you away from Zhaoge."

"Faint king? Tyrant? That's absolute bullsh*t!"

"Your Majesty saved my entire family. Do we not know what kind of person you are?!"

"Why should Your Majesty suffer such injustice? A person as good as you, why should you be left without even... even a whole corpse..."

These iron-willed men were now crying like a group of helpless children.

An old official who had followed Su Chen the longest also stepped forward tremblingly, old tears flowing as he asked hoarsely,

"Your Majesty, this old official dares to ask one thing."

"You have exhausted your heart and soul for this Yin Shang Dynasty and for the people of this world, bearing infamy, and now you are to meet such an end."

"If you die like this, the pens of historians will never be kind to you."

"They will surely write of you as a tyrant of the ages, to be cursed for ten thousand generations."

"Are you... are you truly willing?"

"In your heart... do you not feel hate?"

Everyone's gaze focused on Su Chen.

Even these outsiders were feeling the injustice on Su Chen's behalf.

If a person started out rotting in the mud and, through reform, achieved an ending surrounded by flowers,

then that would be a beautiful story.

But he, a man born in a prosperous age and surrounded by flowers from the start,

after doing everything he possibly could,

was about to rot in the mud.

Su Chen stood quietly, letting the cold wind whip his graying hair and thin robes.

He spoke slowly.

His voice was not loud, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly.

"My life and death, my reputation after I am gone..."

"Compared to the survival of the thousands of lives in this city, and compared to the lives of the soldiers and civilians who were forced into this calamity yet are still willing to believe in and follow me..."

He paused, his gaze slowly sweeping across every face below the platform—faces that were old, young, indignant, or covered in tears.

Word by word, his voice was as heavy as a thousand catties.

"They are not worth mentioning."

"The living are more important than the dead."

"You all... are more important than my reputation."

As his voice fell, the entire camp was deathly silent.

Everyone present bowed their heads.

When they raised their heads again,

they were countless subjects who viewed death as life, ready to use the remainder of their lives to repay the mission and kindness bestowed by their monarch.

No emotion could be seen on their faces anymore.

Because they knew

that after today, their lives would no longer belong solely to themselves.

Su Chen showed a satisfied smile and then slowly closed his eyes.

Queen Jiang firmly supported his slightly trembling arm.

Even she was utterly impressed by Su Chen's mastery of leadership.

Su Chen...

If not for the interference of the gods and immortals in the heavens, he could have been a very, very good King.

If...

If there were no external forces, could she perhaps...

...But.

She knew.

There were no 'ifs'.

She could only stand here, witnessing the final blood and loyalty of Zhaoge City,

willingly becoming a silent supporting character in Su Chen's 'death performance'.

...

By the time they returned to the palace, twilight had already closed in.

Su Chen's current physical state made even walking a problem.

Yet, for the sake of winning over the people's hearts, he had insisted on climbing a ten-meter-high Altar of Heaven.

His body had long since been unable to hold up.

He was practically carried and hugged back to his bedchamber by Queen Jiang.

Just as the two stepped into the hall, they saw Su Daji standing there quietly.

She had changed into a new crimson palace dress that, while appearing extremely gorgeous, did not seem seductive.

Even her long hair was carefully pinned up with a Pearl-embedded Phoenix Hairpin.

With a light application of makeup, she had covered all the weariness accumulated over these past few days.

Upon seeing Su Daji, Su Chen did not forget to tease her, even though he was extremely weak.

"Oho..."

"Isn't this my 'Demon Consort'?"

"How is it that after not seeing you for a few hours, you're suddenly dressed so stunningly?"

After all, when Su Daji was in the palace before, she wished she didn't have a single scrap of cloth on her.

It was rare to see her dressed so formally.

Hearing Su Chen's teasing, Su Daji's pretty face merely flushed red, and she did not argue with him.

Then, she turned toward Queen Jiang.

(The next chapter is held up for review; please wait for me to revise it...)