521 The Elder Brother Is Like A Father (1/2)
The emperor was momentarily speechless. It was only after a good while did he roll his eyes and said, ”This is what father decided back then. Go look for him if you have something to say!”
Marquis Yun sprung up in a fit of rage and slapped the table, hollering, ”Yu Peize! Do you not feel any sense of guilt for saying this? How many years has that old man been dead? Where do I start looking for him? If I really did go look for him, can I still make it back into this realm?”
Both brothers glared at each other like fighting roosters.
After a very long time, the emperor snorted and said with a chuckle, ”Okay, okay, I'm not arguing with you anymore. Only you would dare to argue like this with me anyway and you're my blood brother; otherwise, I would have asked that your head be separated from your body for at least a dozen times!”
Marquis Yun was still disgruntled. ”Don't you talk about it like it's right, do you think I like to argue with you? Do you feel something lacking if you don't anger me after some time? I am guessing that you would feel that something was amiss if I didn't chide you every now and then!”
His Majesty sighed, ”Yes, yes. Let us leave this aside first. Help me think about the issue of the future throne. This is an emergency, it has to be resolved as soon as possible.”
”There is one more thing. The Immortal Dahuang today…” The emperor said, ”On the topic of heaven's will, I really do remember something being recorded about it… Help me look for it. We can chat and discuss along the way.”
”You can ask anyone to do this, why must you make me work for you? You know that you'll have to suffer as well…” Marquis Yun said indignantly.
His Majesty replied, ”It would be best if this matter were to remain between the both of us. I don't trust the others.”
He sighed and continued, ”Brother, we aren't young any longer. You can forget about what father said the last time… find a woman if you want to. I'm the emperor now, I can remove that restraint for you.”
Marquis Yun was stunned and was quiet for a moment before he said bitterly, ”You can just forget about that too… There have been plenty of women who treated me well all these years, but I've rejected them all… Now, they're either already married, dead, or lost… Your grant is ten years too late. You could have just said something earlier…”
He raised his head and looked at the nightfall outside the window. Various forms of bitter memories and glum emotions seemed to flash across his eyes, leaving behind only a soft sigh.
His Majesty looked at the sprinkle of silver on Marquis Yun's sideburns and sighed as well with some measure of guilt.
”These years… you've suffered…” sighed the emperor softly.
”Well, there's no point talking about this now.” Marquis Yun's smile was devoid of humor and he waved his hand dismissively, ”My greatest mistake was to have been reincarnated in the wrong life… Forget it, this is fate.”
”Fate, indeed.”
Both men sighed in unison.
…
The emperor and Marquis Yun, who had stayed up the entire night, were worn out, their backs ached and their joints were sore. Even when they felt like they were utterly drained, they did not let anyone help.
After all, what they were doing now was a confidential secret that could not be made known to any other people. If they had not spoken and argued as they went through the old books to look for clues, the night would have been longer and wearier.
Not only was the target they were after important, their conversation could not be known by a third party either. Other than random bits and pieces that they talked about, they had also spoken about grudges and favors, meetings and separations, all sorts of wronged woes and complaints throughout the years…
Both of them had their respective points of resentment and grudges, both of them felt that fatigue had taken them on a trip! What was the most remarkable and bewildering still, was that both of them felt that their father had been unfair? It was a cruel thing to have asked so much of them.
When this topic erupted, it was Marquis Yun who shot up in anger first and exploded in rage. Both of them had a big quarrel. Even when the emperor was enraged and roaring, Marquis Yun did not back down. It was a sight to behold.
After the heated quarrel, both of them went back to their work, huffing before beginning to discuss among themselves once more when one of them started to talk. They then began poking fun at each other, began to find old faults, and thus began another fight.
At a later stage, His Majesty no longer addressed himself royally, calling himself your father or anything of the sort. There was nothing left of grace and class.
Marquis Yun naturally refused to be subjected to such speech. He would normally use only a few vulgarities here and there, but upon hearing that the emperor of Yutang no longer cared for his royal manners, he acted accordingly as well, retorting with 'your father' in their argument without any hint of falling behind.
Yet the younger man had fallen into His Majesty's trap at once!
Poor Marquis Yun, the man who roamed the martial world all year long. His cultivation base was amazing, unsurpassable throughout Yutang, but a strong cultivation base was not equivalent to cunning. Putting martial strength aside, how could his slyness be an opponent to the old fox of an emperor who had been trained in the imperial court all his life?
After a series of 'your father's, His Majesty's face suddenly sunk.
”What did you say? Say it again!” The emperor's gaze was icy.
Marquis Yun said angrily, ”What did your father say? Your father will say it since you asked your father to do so... who do you think you are?”
His Majesty stood up and threw a kick in the general direction of the Marquis. ”How dare you call yourself 'your father' in front of me? Whose father are you?”