Book 04 Chapter 188: Suicide at the Great Sigh Palace Hall

In the city, countless citizens and officials appeared shocked. Let Imperial Emperor Xi Yu go? The Qian Heavenly Emperor is letting him go?

Imperial Emperor Xi Yu goggled as he looked at the palace hall where the Qian Heavenly Emperor was.

Let me go? The Qian Heavenly Emperor is letting me go? How can that be possible?

——

In the imperial prison:

Mo Yike goggled as well. The Qian Heavenly Emperor? Is that really the Qian Heavenly Emperor? He is letting His Reverence go?

——

Long Shenwu and Sima Changkong looked at Gu Hai.

Let Imperial Emperor Xi Yu go?

Can we let him go? If we do, won’t there be great chaos?

Long Shenwu gaped. He wanted to stop this, but Sima Changkong stopped him.

Gu Hai looked at Imperial Emperor Xi Yu with some pity flashing in his eyes. “The Qian Heavenly Emperor pities you and wants to let you go? Humph! Fine. We will just return another day to kill you!”

As Gu Hai spoke, he extended his hand to grab the Heaven Splitting Ax. Then, he waved it.

Buzz!

Suddenly, a small hole in the barrier appeared in the north of the city.

A small hole?

Nearly everyone looked at that small hole.

Long Shenwu’s expression changed dramatically. Is Gu Hai really going to release Imperial Emperor Xi Yu? Release him? Then, aren’t we finished?

Long Aotian could not understand what was going on, but he did not think much of it. He only pouted, feeling that the Qian Heavenly Emperor should not pity Imperial Emperor Xi Yu.

However, Long Shenwu felt his heart leap into his throat.

“I want to see! I want to see!” Mo Yike said anxiously in the imperial prison.

There was a small hole that genuinely connected to the outside. At the very least, some dust inside flowed out.

The Qian Heavenly Emperor pitied me and is letting me out? That small hole is only big enough for a person to leave with his head lowered? He is letting me go?

Bark! Bark! Bark!

Just as Imperial Emperor Xi Yu appeared uncertain, a few feral dogs from the city went through that hole.

Even the dogs did not want to remain inside the barrier. All of them rushed to get out.

“A dog hole? Hahahaha! A dog hole? You want us to leave using a dog hole? Letting us go?!” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu said with shock on his face.

Gu Hai looked at Imperial Emperor Xi Yu coldly. Far away, the Qian Heavenly Emperor did not do anything.

“Your Reverence, let’s leave quickly! We should leave first. After we leave, we can start again!” an old eunuch called out.

“Your Reverence, as long as you are alive, you have a chance to start again. Your Reverence, let’s leave quickly!” another old eunuch called out.

Imperial Emperor Xi Yu looked at that dog hole, then at Gu Hai, then at the flying ship the Qian Heavenly Emperor was on.

“Ha! Hahahahahahaha! Hahahahaha!” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu suddenly reared his head and laughed.

The entire city fell silent. The outside of the city was silent as well.

“You old crook, do you think we will accept your pity? Do you think that we will bow down and go through this dog hole? Do you think that we will accept your humiliation?” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu roared furiously at the distant flying ship.

Gu Hai had already beaten down Imperial Emperor Xi Yu’s pride, putting him in low spirits after his many defeats. He could not possibly surpass the Qian Heavenly Emperor in any aspect. Take revenge? March north? That was all just a joke.

More importantly, Imperial Emperor Xi Yu suddenly realized that he could never compare to the Qian Heavenly Emperor. Should he endure humiliation and give up on the Yuan Nation and start another nation later? Was that possible? Even if he started anew, he would not be the Qian Heavenly Emperor’s match. He would only be humiliated again.

Second Younger Brother is gone! Third Younger Brother is gone! Fourth Younger Brother is gone! I am all alone now. I am alone!

“Ha! Hahahahahaha!” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu showed despair on his face.

Before the dog hole appeared, Imperial Emperor Xi Yu had not felt this dispirited. However, the instant it appeared, he felt like no more light remained in his world.

“Live? Endure humiliation while living? Hahahaha!”

High in the sky, Gu Hai took a deep breath and said, “Imperial Emperor Xi Yu, let me offer you this Song of Major Metropolitan. “

Imperial Emperor Xi Yu showed bloodshot eyes as he looked at Gu Hai.

Gu Hai started reciting:

“I have the strength to pick up mountains, and my might conquers the world!
“But I have fallen unto hard times, and Yuan will cease to exist in this world.
“When Yuan no longer exists, what can I do?
“Mo, Chang, Qin, what do I do?”

As Gu Hai recited the poem, Imperial Emperor Xi Yu’s eyes turned moist for some reason.

[TL Note: As usual, Gu Hai plagiarized another of Earth’s poets. The original poem is called Song of Gaixia. This is a poem that Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, wrote when he was trapped by the Han army in Gaixia the night before he committed suicide. It summarizes his achievements and pride in his life, expresses his pity for his consort and horse, and expresses his resentment and helplessness when surrounded. Prior to Xiang Yu’s suicide, he had the opportunity to use a local boatman to cross the river to escape, but he had too much pride to do so. Here is a section in Xiang Yu’s Wikipedia entry about this poem: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xiang_Yu#Song_of_Gaixia.]

“I have the strength to pick up mountains, and my might conquers the world”? I seem to see my previous self, that powerful and mighty hero with grand ambitions.

“But I have fallen unto hard times, and Yuan will cease to exist in this world”? It is speaking about how the current situation is terrible for me. The powerful Yuan Nation can no longer bring me any glory. I can no longer carry on.

“When Yuan no longer exists, what can I do?” Since I cannot continue in the Yuan Nation, what should I do? What should I do?

“Mo, Chang, Qin, what do I do?” Mo En, Chang Sheng, Qin Yun, you all have gone on before me, leaving me alone. What should I do?

“Hahahahaha! Excellent! Song of Major Metropolitan? Song of Major Metropolitan? ‘I have the strength to pick up mountains, and my might conquers the world! But I have fallen unto hard times, and Yuan will cease to exist in this world. When Yuan no longer exists, what can I do? Mo, Chang, Qin, what do I do?’ Hahaha! Mo, Chang, Qin, what do I do?! What do I do?!” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu said maniacally.

The old eunuchs knelt and exhorted incessantly, “Your Reverence, let’s leave quickly. As long as you leave, there is a chance of turning things around. Your Reverence!”

If it is a dog hole, so be it. Just endure this humiliation for a while and return in the future.

However, how could a group of eunuchs understand the heart of an emperor? How could they understand Imperial Emperor Xi Yu’s current emotions?

Only Gu Hai understood how Imperial Emperor Xi Yu felt. He even poured more oil on the fire.

“Qian Heavenly Emperor? Hahahaha! Yes, we are not comparable to you. We are not comparable to you. But, we are a sovereign as well. We are a sovereign as well. You want to humiliate us by letting us go? Letting us flee? Flee like a stray dog? Flee? We…we are the Yuan Nation’s emperor, the sovereign of a nation!” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu roared at the Qian Heavenly Emperor’s flying ship.

As Imperial Emperor Xi Yu roared, the entire city was silent.

“Your Reverence, leave quickly!” the old eunuchs cried out.

“‘I have the strength to pick up mountains, and my might conquers the world! But I have fallen unto hard times, and Yuan will cease to exist in this world. When Yuan no longer exists, what can I do? Mo, Chang, Qin, what do I do?’ Hahahahahaha! Second Younger Brother, Third Younger Brother, Fourth Younger Brother, we have already lost. Since we already lost, why try again?” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu looked at the Great Sigh Palace Hall’s plaza.

He vaguely seemed to see four figures.

These four figures were his past self, Mo En, Chang Sheng, and Qin Yun.

——

“Heaven above, I—Xi Yu—become sworn brothers with Mo En, Chang Sheng, and Qin Yun on this day. We do not seek to be born on the same day, the same month, or the same year. However, we seek to die on the same day, the same month, and the same year!”

“Heaven above, I—Mo En—become sworn brothers with Xi Yu, Chang Sheng, and Qin Yun on this day. We do not seek to be born on the same day, the same month, or the same year. However, we seek to die on the same day, the same month, and the same year!”

“Heaven above, I—Chang Sheng—become sworn brothers with Xi Yu, Mo En, and Qin Yun on this day. We do not seek to be born on the same day, the same month, or the same year. However, we seek to die on the same day, the same month, and the same year!”

“Heaven above, I—Qin Yun—become sworn brothers with Xi Yu, Mo En, and Chang Sheng on this day. We do not seek to be born on the same day, the same month, or the same year. However, we seek to die on the same day, the same month, and the same year!”

“Hahahahaha! The four guffawed as they stood up after paying their respects to heaven and swearing to be brothers.

“First Elder Brother!” Mo En, Chang Sheng, and Qin Yun greeted Royal Emperor Xi Yu.

“Second Younger Brother, Third Younger Brother, Fourth Younger Brother!” Royal Emperor Xi Yu smiled at the three.

“First Elder Brother, rest assured. The three of us will do our best to assist First Elder Brother. We will make the Yuan Royal Dynasty an imperial dynasty, then, a heavenly dynasty!” Chang Sheng said while laughing.

“Now, First Elder Brother is a royal emperor. Won’t First Elder Brother be an imperial emperor later? Then, a heavenly emperor? Hahaha! Your Holy Eminence! Long live Your Holy Eminence! May Your Holy Eminence live for ten thousand years!” Qin Yun laughed happily.

“We owe our lives to First Elder Brother. First Elder Brother, rest assured, the descendants of your three younger brothers will serve the Yuan Nation as your most loyal officials forever!” Mo En said with a smile.

“Hahahahaha! Whatever I have is yours. We are brothers. We share blessings and difficulties. This is my promise to my brothers!” Xi Yu guffawed.

“First Elder Brother!” the other three called out excitedly.

——

Imperial Emperor Xi Yu teared up as he looked at these figures that no one else could see, showing a bleak smile.

“We are the Yuan Nation’s sovereign. We would rather die than let you humiliate us like a dog. No one can kill us, not even you, the Qian Heavenly Emperor. We are a sovereign. A sovereign has a sovereign’s way of dying!” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu said as he looked at this distant flying ship.

Imperial Emperor Xi Yu’s words made everyone’s expression change.

Sima Changkong and Long Shenwu gaped, appearing shocked.

These words set the Major Metropolitan City citizens abuzz. The old eunuchs were all aghast.

“Your Reverence! Your Reverence! Don’t! Your Reverence!” the old eunuchs shouted in horror.

Suddenly, Imperial Emperor Xi Yu guffawed. “Heaven above, I—Xi Yu—become sworn brothers with Mo En, Chang Sheng, and Qin Yun on this day. We do not seek to be born on the same day, the same month, or the same year. However, we seek to die on the same day, the same month, and the same year!”

The bleak laughter spread throughout Major Metropolitan City. At this moment, Imperial Emperor Xi Yu roared out the words he said when he swore brotherhood. It was as though he wanted everyone to hear his oath to heaven and earth, the promise that the four brothers made back then.

“Second Brother, Third Brother, Fourth Brother, you have been waiting for a long time!” Imperial Emperor Xi Yu muttered to himself.

As Imperial Emperor Xi Yu muttered to himself, he suddenly placed his saber at his neck.

“No!” the eunuchs and guards exclaimed.

“No!” some citizens in Major Metropolitan City exclaimed as well.

“No!” some officials in the Great Sigh Palace Hall’s plaza yelled.

However, no one could stop Imperial Emperor Xi Yu.

Phish!

Amid strong winds, Imperial Emperor Xi Yu stabbed his saber into his neck, destroying his heavenly palaces. A proud expert killed himself before everyone in the world.

On his deathbed, Imperial Emperor Xi Yu teared up and revealed a final faint smile. “First Elder Brother is coming.”

With those final words, Imperial Emperor Xi Yu closed his eyes.

At this moment, the world fell silent.

Everyone felt stunned. They incredulously watched this scene amid their horror, stupefied.

Sima Changkong, Long Shenwu, Long Aotian, and everyone else were silent.

Boom!

A loud report came from the blessings cloud sea in the sky.

“Roar!”

A golden blessings dragon came out of Imperial Emperor Xi Yu’s corpse. It let out a sorrowful roar and soared into the sky. Unfortunately, it exploded and scattered as it soared.

When the sovereign died, the blessings scattered.

“Roar!”

The dragon vein let out a sorrowful roar underground.

Rain fell from Major Metropolitan City’s sky. A sorrowful atmosphere filled the capital.

“Your Reverence!” The old eunuchs suddenly knelt and cried.

“Your Reverence!” All the officials who betrayed Imperial Emperor Xi Yu in the Great Sigh Palace Hall’s plaza likewise knelt.

“Your Reverence!” Even though so many citizens had looked at Imperial Emperor Xi Yu coldly, all of them knelt when he committed suicide. Many people even cried.

After Imperial Emperor Xi Yu committed suicide, he leaned on his saber and just stood there. Even after he stopped breathing, he remained standing in the Great Sigh Palace Hall’s plaza. In death, he remained erect.

Lamentation rang out everywhere, and the blessings scattered. The Yuan Nation crumbled instantly. The blessings carried a great sorrow through the entire Yuan Imperial Dynasty, sending it to the ears of every Yuan Nation citizen.

Countless citizens of the Yuan Imperial Dynasty suddenly knelt.

“Your Reverence!”