acfr chapter 21.2

hey read this on uhimgood()wordpress()com plz, so that ik ppl are interested LOL

Just then, an arrow grazed Gu Chen’s body and brushed past them.

In the forest not far away, another group of archers emerged with a group of men and horses. It was Prince Cheng’s people fighting with the capital’s guard.

He Ziming wrinkled his brows.

Just as they heard the troops emerge, there was a roar from within: “Fight! He Zisheng, who is not of royal blood, placed Prince An is under house arrest and persecuted Lord Gu. I will immediately enter the capital to rescue Prince An and Lord Gu, and take back my He family’s rightful position in Daxing!” 

Seeing this, Gu Chen hurriedly took He Ziming in one hand and drew his sword with the other, and joined the scuffle: “Your Highness, don’t panic. I will protect you …”

With his exceptional martial arts, Gu Chen beheaded several people with a single slice of his sword. Blood splashed on He Ziming’s face; he was in a daze, and not a single strand of his hair was harmed in the military chaos.

A chaotic battle, heads flying …

In the end, as the son of destiny, He Zisheng was more skilled. He was early in his deployment, and was early in taking Prince Cheng’s head. The rebellion’s army was like a thunder of dragons without a head. In addition, He Zisheng deployed a massive amount of military troops early. At once, they began to lay down their weapons and surrender, one by one.

When He Zisheng arrived, he looked at He Ziming and Gu Chen’s hands clasped together, and his face was ashen: “Is this your choice, brother?”

“Even if Gu Chen betrays you, turns his back on you, you still will choose to stay at his side, hm?” His eyes were so red, they were almost bleeding.

He Ziming noiselessly sighed: “Chang’an, just let Gu Chen go.”

This was also the wish of the original crown prince.

“But Gu Chen, he colluded with the rebel party and attempted treason. This is a capital crime, implicating nine generations of his family. Even so, my brother asked me to let him go.” He Zisheng’s voice was hoarse, almost spitting blood: “He wants my life, brother. “

He Ziming didn’t speak.

He Zisheng hoarsely said, “If I said, I won’t let him go this time?”

“Then I can only …” He Ziming tried to say something.

At that moment, He Zisheng’s guards did not know Prince Cheng’s spy had sneaked in among them, and while they were distracted by the words, he took out the knife in his sleeve and stabbed him.

He Ziming was startled. He noticed a step earlier than He Zisheng, so he suddenly threw himself at He Zisheng.

Using his body as a meat shield, he blocked that knife for He Zisheng.

In the confusion, the knife pierced He Ziming’s heart!

“Brother——”

“Changfeng——” He Zisheng and Gu Chen screamed at the same time.

The next second, He Zisheng’s real guard rushed forward to capture the assassin. He Ziming stumbled and fell into He Zisheng’s arms.

No one dared to pull out the knife in his heart.

Time seemed to stand still for an instant.

“Imperial physician, hurry and call the imperial physician! No matter what, you must save Prince An! Quickly!” He Zisheng howled madly.

He Ziming felt that, in his arms, time stopped suddenly. His mind began to look back at his life in this world very slowly.

It didn’t hurt much, because the system had adjusted the pain coefficient for him in advance today …

But he knew for Gu Chen and He Zisheng, it must be very sad, awfully sad.

Blood kept flowing down his chest, and gathered into a small pool on the ground…

He Zisheng tried to plug the knife wound with his hand so that he would no longer lose blood, but he couldn’t stop the bleeding. Instead, he dyed his hand red. 

“Brother, why? Why did you do this?” He Zisheng crying voice rang in his ears.

He Ziming raised his eyes and tried to see He Zisheng. After working hard for a while, he saw a tearful face, red eyes, and a child-like face.

He Zisheng could stop asking him: “Brother, why did you do this?”

He realized that he might lose the most important thing in the world to him. He would rather have the knife stab himself.

He worked ascend to reach the throne of the emperor all by himself[1], and now he is really about to become an emperor who is all by himself[1] …

“Don’t cry, Chang’an, don’t you cry …” He Ziming stretched out his hand, and stroked the corner of He Zisheng’s eyes affectionately.

This was the first time he called He Zisheng Chang’an since that “incident.”

He Zisheng cried more and more intensely: “Brother——”

“Brother, you can’t leave me, you can’t leave Chang’an, you can’t.” He broke into tears.

He Ziming touched his face. His eyes finally no longer indifferent, instead there was some nostalgia. He looked at the Gu Chen from corner of his eyes, and he asked with all his strength: “Chang’an, can you … can you agree to the last request of this big brother? “

“Big … Big Brother, Big Brother never asked you for anything …”

He Zisheng didn’t wait for his voice to fall, he took the lead and firmly cut him off: “Okay, okay, brother, whatever you say. Just please, just don’t leave me.”

“I beg you to let Gu Chen go. He was just confused for a moment, I ask you to forgive him just this time.” He Ziming said with difficulty.

All he wanted was to set things right…

Everything in this world must be restored to its original order and trajectory after he leaves…

He Zisheng was unable to think of anything else, was unable to be jealous that He Ziming was still thinking about Gu Chen at this time, and just continuously agreed, “Okay, brother, whatever you say.”

When He Ziming got his answer, he immediately showed a satisfied smile, and extended his hand to Gu Chen: “Ziqing …”

On the verge of death, as if having a flash of lucidity before death[2], he called out Gu Chen’s nickname again…

“Changfeng …” Upon hearing his voice, Gu Chen immediately rushed to him and held his hand tightly.

He Ziming tried with difficulty to focus his eyes on him, and said: “Although I was born the crown prince of Daxing, I know that I am irresolute, indecisive, a sheep in wolf’s clothing, and after all is said and done, I am not suitable for that position. But Chang’an is different from me. He is tough, can endure humiliation and bear heavy burdens, and is also proficient in the arts of the emperor. I know that he is the most suitable person for that seat, and I believe … I believe that he can bring the best future to Daxing, and is the most suitable monarch for Daxing … “

“I also know, Ziqing, you have the talent to govern the country. In time, you will be Daxing’s Minister of State[3] in this generation. You and Chang’an were supposed to be close friends. You should support each other as a king and his official, and create a prosperous era for this generation’s Daxing. But because I turned you against each other, I have always felt extreme guilt.” He Ziming said, “I know I’m leaving. I just made a request to Chang’an, and now I want to make a request to you … sigh. “

“Brother …”

“Changfeng …”

Gu Chen and He Zisheng both guessed what he wanted to say.

He Ziming held his breath and said with difficulty: “I want you to assist Chang’an, and become Daxing’s most capable minister of our generation. Together with Chang’an, establish the foundation and strengthen our Daxing’s rivers and mountains. Finish what I, the incompetent crown prince, can’t do. “

“Ziqing, can you do it?” In a final burst of strength[2], he looked at Gu Chen, his eyes burning.

Gu Chen did not answer.

He coughed a few times and asked again, “Ziqing, can you do it?”

Gu Chen looked fixedly at He Ziming’s deathly pale face for a long time, and his eyes were almost dripping tears of blood. After a long while, he finally answered: “Okay.”

After receiving Gu Chen’s reply, He Ziming smiled with relief. He first held Gu Chen’s hand, then grabbed He Zisheng’s hand, and then tried his best to bring their two hands together. His voice gradually lowered, and he whispered to Gu Chen, “Ziqing, I gave you my most beloved brother. You… you have to take care of him for me…”

“You guys … you will be on good terms from now on, okay.” His voice fell, and He Ziming took his final breath in front of the two of them.

“Ding, this body has lost too much blood to survive! It is dying, host, please prepare to leave the world!” The system prompt sounded in He Ziming’s mind.

“… Okay.” He Ziming whispered.

He could no longer hear the sounds of this world.

When the imperial doctor arrived in a panic, He Ziming has lost his breath. Seeing this, the imperial doctor of the imperial hospital immediately turned pale and knelt on the ground: “Prince An is gone, your majesty, please restrain your grief!”

He Zisheng held he Ziming in his arms, as if he had died with him, and murmured and cried: “Brother, don’t go. As long as you don’t go, I can do whatever you want me to do, I can let you go, or even not appear in front of you in this life, and let you be with Gu Chen, as long as you do not leave, as long as you do not leave … “

“Who said that Prince An was dead? Prince An is not dead. Whoever said that he was dead, you should save Prince An, save the prince!” Gu Chen was in a trance, he didn’t want to accept the fact that He Ziming had already departed. He held the imperial doctor’s collar, shaking it back and forth crazily.

The imperial doctor did not blame him, and only said: “Please restrain your grief, Young Master Gu!”

Young Master Gu and Prince An had an engagement bestowed by the former Emperor, and they all knew about Prince An’s deep affection.

Gu Chen looked at He Ziming, who was lying peacefully in He Zisheng’s arms, but he couldn’t believe the fact that he was dead.

It took He Zisheng a full month to accept this reality. He conferred He Ziming a title after his death with an imperial rite, honouring his respected elder brother as Emperor Wen, and buried him in the imperial mausoleum.

He came to his senses the first moment after, and severely punished all those who participated in the rebellion and the followers of Prince Cheng.

All the rebel parties were executed by Ling Chi[4]. After death, they whipped the corpses and then cast them into mass graves, which made all the people in the capital tremble. They shouted that the new ruler was more violent than Emperor Wen when he was the crown prince.

After He Ziming’s accident, He Zisheng’s health was a lot worse, but he took care of  it with great care. He knew he couldn’t die, and his brother wanted him to live and become a wise ruler.

So he cannot die.

After He Ziming’s death, He Zisheng spent a full six months purging and stabilizing all the powers in the imperial court before he went to the prison to meet Gu Chen, who was still being held in prison because of Prince Cheng’s case.

“Do you want to kill me? Your Majesty.” Six months after He Ziming’s death, Gu Chen completely lost his anger, his hair turning white overnight. When he saw He Zisheng come, he only looked at him with his deep eyes and asked without any emotion.

When he saw his grey hair, He Zisheng was surprised and said, “Death? No, I haven’t even gone to see him yet, how can I let you go first?”

Gu Chen did not speak, and was lifeless.

“He wants you to live well and become this generation’s most virtuous minister, to be celebrated throughout all ages. I will let you live well and put you into an important position … Beloved Official Gu.” The emperor was still young, but his mindset was aged.

Gu Chen didn’t speak and allowed him to continue.

That person is no longer there. Living or dying, for him, it had no meaning…

At this point, half a year after He Ziming left, this world’s trajectory finally returned to the right track. The protagonist of this world and his important male partner finally joined hands again. The monarch and his minister worked together, creating a prosperous era for Daxing and becoming the wise monarch and virtuous minister praised by later generations.

However, in the original trajectory, they are close friends who are supported each other through life and death and struggled for the same goal.

But in the current track, they are together for the will of one person, and they obviously hate each other. When they meet each other, they will think of that person, and they are tormented and torture each other to finish the original trajectory they should have taken…

——

As soon as He Ziming’s soul was removed from the world, he immediately returned to the system space. He Ziming asked the system: “What happened to them after I left?”

“The original trajectory of the world has been put right by you. They support each other and have once again become a top model pair of a monarch and minister, but behind each other’s backs they hate each other and torture each other … Gu Chen’s hair turned white overnight, and he never married all his life. He had always considered himself the imperial consort of Prince An. He died behind He Zisheng, and was buried with you … After being buried with Emperor Wen, he wanted to find you when he entered the underworld, but he learned the whole truth from the king of hell. He chose to follow the original crown prince voluntarily, and dissipated his soul to not reincarnate.” The system told the ending of the world mechanically.

In the end, Gu Chen chose to follow the real crown prince, and truly repented and atoned for what he had done to hurt He Ziming.

This task of fast-wearer He Ziming was evaluated as S-class by the Jinjiang Fast-wear Bureau…

He really had made He Ziming irreplaceable in Gu Chen’s heart. When he recalled him, he was the white moonlight who made his heart ache. Even after he learned that the He Ziming he encountered was just a transmigrator, he still chose to follow the real crown prince for his moving appearance after seeing him and his story on the original track.

“Well, coming from the original crown prince’s fate given by the true dragon emperor, in this way, it can be considered a good ending.” He Ziming bent his eyes and said, “I can also be considered worthy of Prince Li and this task. If I have a loved one to accompany me, even if my soul was scattered, I don’t think it’s bitter for the original crown prince.”

The system didn’t know much about human feelings and didn’t speak.

He Zishing suddenly remembered something. He paused and asked, “What about He Zisheng? What was his ending after I left?”

“He was a bachelor all his life. He adopted the son of Prince Anliu as his son … because of you, he knows that he is not of He’s bloodline and wants to return the throne to the royal family.” The system said.

He Ziming sighed a long breath: “Oh——”

“Will the host need to dilute the feelings?” The system immediately asked him when he was in a bad mood.

He Ziming thought for a while, but shook his head: “No, I can still regulate my own feelings at the moment.”

“So, do you choose to rest for a while, or go directly to the next world?” After testing, the system found that his emotional concentration had not reached the level that would affect his whole person. He immediately gave up and persuaded him, and asked instead.

It actually thought that in the face of such sentimentality now, the sensitive and thoughtful host felt much better than the narcissistic demon who has dulled his feelings.

He Ziming thought for a while and said, “Go to the next world directly. I can choose to rest in the next world. It is really boring to face you in the system space.”

The system: “……” 

It retracted the above sentence, and it would not feel goodwill towards such a host.

“Shall we go straight in?” The system asked again.

He Ziming suddenly thought of something, and asked, “By the way, what happened to the thing I asked you last time? Can I choose to use points to redeem him? Will I meet him again in this world?”

“Yes, I have chosen to redeem it for you, and he will be in this world too.” The system paused for a while and replied.

He Ziming asked, “How can I find him?”

“It depends on you. We are only responsible for him being in this world, not for sending him to you. It is up to you to find him and recognize him, host,” said the system.

He Ziming: “…”

How the fuck should he find him?

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TL Note

BAH KILL ME. anyways! this is the end of this arc, hooray! I’m debating on whether to keep my current schedule, which is updating every 3 days (a lil more if im busy) and taking a hiatus for 2 weeks between arcs to build up chapters, or do one chapter every week and then have no 2 week hiatus. What do you guys think? gehehe i dont think many ppl read this anyways 😛 I’m also looking for a job, so if i get one, i’ll probably drop the every 3 days schedule, it’s super difficult.

I wonder how other ppl mtl. when i do it, i use 2 translation sites, and then a character by character translator, and then 3 sites for referrals to specific characters and idioms. It’s a lot of work, but I hope that it makes my translations more readable? if they aren’t, sorry! I’m rlly trying my best here QAQ

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Footnotes (just use ctrl+f or if u are on mobile, use the find word feature and input [#])

[1] “孤家寡人” means “one who is cut off from others,” or one who has chosen to follow a solitary path.  It also is a first person pronoun used by emperors as well.

[2] “回光返照” meaning “the last radiance of the setting sun.”  It refers to a burst of strength or clarity that happens to a person before they die. 

[3] “股肱之臣” meaning “Minister of the Humerus.” It refers to the closest assistant minister to the emperor, who is assigned the most important jobs. I couldn’t find a page about it in english, but here is the Baidu page if you would like to know more! https://baike.baidu.hk/item/股肱之臣/9611241

[4] “凌迟” refers to a form of torture and execution commonly translated to “death by a thousand cuts.” It is very slow, very painful, and very gruesome. I am not going to go into detail, here is a wiki article LOL https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingchi