{"id":3948,"date":"2026-06-12T03:35:35","date_gmt":"2026-06-12T03:35:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/pursuit-of-jade-110\/"},"modified":"2026-06-12T03:35:43","modified_gmt":"2026-06-12T03:35:43","slug":"pursuit-of-jade-110","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/my\/chapter\/pursuit-of-jade-110\/","title":{"rendered":"Pursuit of Jade 110"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chapter 110

The pavilion built beside the water was open on all four sides, allowing the breeze to flow through freely.

Lush bamboo shadows filtered through the half-rolled bamboo blinds, falling across the stone floor inside. Specks of sunlight scattered over the hem of the man\u2019s robe as he sat playing chess, causing the subtle patterns woven into the brocade to shimmer softly.

The cicadas droned incessantly.

Across the lake covered with lotus leaves, colorful koi occasionally leaped from the water, snatching a blooming lotus petal before splashing back down and sending ripples spreading across the surface.

Xie Zheng’s long fingers, marked with dark healing scabs, picked up a black chess piece and placed it on the board.

In an instant, all of Xie Zhong\u2019s white pieces were completely trapped.

Holding a white piece in his hand, Xie Zhong studied the board for a long time but could find no place to make his move. Finally, he laughed helplessly.

\u201cYour Lordship\u2019s chess skills have improved again. I am ashamed of my inferiority.\u201d

The man seated across from him had not tied up his hair.

Because the whip wounds and reopened saber injuries on his body had yet to heal, he wore only a thin inner garment beneath a loosely draped outer robe.

His handsome face still carried a trace of illness-induced paleness.

An itch rose in his throat, and he covered his mouth as he coughed twice.

\u201cPractice makes perfect.\u201d

The repeatedly torn saber wound, combined with the one hundred and eight lashes, had left Xie Zheng bedridden for three full days before he was able to get out of bed.

Even the physician who came to treat him could only shake his head repeatedly, saying there was hardly a patch of uninjured flesh left on his back.

Had it been an ordinary person, the pain alone would have been enough to kill them.

But perhaps because of the willpower forged through years of warfare, no matter how intense the pain was, Xie Zheng never lost consciousness. At most, his strength gave out.

When the physician used tweezers to pull out scraps of cloth embedded deep within his wounds, Xie Zheng remained fully awake.

From beginning to end, he never made a sound.

By the time the wounds were cleaned, cold sweat from enduring the pain had completely soaked the bedding beneath him.

Before leaving, the physician had predicted that with injuries this severe, he would need to remain bedridden for at least ten days to half a month.

Yet after only three days of recovery, he was already walking on his own.

Xie Zhong had assumed he was eager to return because of the message Gongsun Yin had sent on the first day of his recuperation.

An imperial eunuch had arrived in Kang City bearing rewards and an imperial decree. Gongsun Yin had claimed that Xie Zheng was away inspecting the frontier, forcing the eunuch to remain there waiting.

Xie Zhong said, \u201cAn inspection tour of the frontier could take several months, or at least a month at minimum. Since Mister Gongsun is holding off the people sent by the palace, there is no need for Your Lordship to rush back before your injuries have healed.\u201d

Xie Zheng tossed the black chess piece back into the bowl.

His phoenix eyes lowered lazily, his expression uninterested.

\u201cOne decree from the little emperor is hardly something I take seriously.\u201d

After a moment\u2019s thought, Xie Zhong asked, \u201cIs it because of the changes in the situation at Chongzhou?\u201d

Xie Zheng replied, \u201cWith Prince Changxin dead, the fall of Chongzhou is only a matter of time. But He Jingyuan\u2019s sudden severe injury and the court\u2019s replacement of the commanding general in the middle of the campaign have shaken morale throughout the Jizhou army. The troops may not be in much better shape than the rebels trapped inside Chongzhou. The question is whether this move truly came from the little emperor\u2014or from Wei Yan.\u201d

He looked at Xie Zhong and asked, \u201cUncle Zhong, after He Jingyuan steps down, who does Wei Yan still have available to take control of Jizhou\u2019s military authority?\u201d

Xie Zhong considered carefully before shaking his head.

\u201cProbably no one. His son, Wei Xuan, has courage but no strategy. The military authority of both Jizhou and Chongzhou is a prize both the Li faction and Wei faction desperately want. Wei Yan would never be reckless enough to place an impulsive and easily manipulated Wei Xuan on the Chongzhou battlefield.\u201d

\u201cThe Emperor promoted Tang Peiyi to commander-in-chief. Although he was personally promoted by He Jingyuan, Tang Peiyi is genuinely loyal to the throne alone. With the military authority in his hands, the Emperor is likely quite reassured.\u201d

Xie Zheng said, \u201cOnce Chongzhou falls, the military authority of both Jizhou and Chongzhou will either belong to the Li faction or return to the little emperor himself. If Wei Yan wants to keep that piece of meat from being snatched away, the only option is to keep the war in Chongzhou deadlocked and drag it out.\u201d

\u201cLi Huaian is serving as military supervisor in Chongzhou. Sooner or later, Wei Yan will find some fault in the Li family.\u201d

Xie Zhong’s expression changed.

\u201cYour Lordship means that Wei Yan may once again use the same methods he used against both you and He Jingyuan before? Deliberately causing problems on the battlefield in order to frame either the Li faction or Tang Peiyi and gradually regain control over Jizhou\u2019s military authority?\u201d

Xie Zheng shook his head.

\u201cWei Yan would never use the same trick a third time.\u201d

\u201cBesides, if we can see his way out of this situation, then the strategists raised by the Li family are not fools either. They certainly would not overlook something so obvious.\u201d

\u201cSui Yuanhuai is the Crown Prince\u2019s eldest son who survived the fire in the Eastern Palace. He has now allied himself with Grand Tutor Li\u2019s faction. Chongzhou is already practically in the Li family\u2019s pocket.\u201d

\u201cIn order to eliminate all future troubles, they may even set a trap and deliberately lure Wei Yan into it.\u201d

At this point, Xie Zheng paused.

The coldness in his eyes deepened inch by inch.

\u201cTo permanently condemn Wei Yan, they need to provoke the outrage of both the officials and the common people.\u201d

He looked at Xie Zhong.

\u201cTell me, Uncle Zhong\u2014what kind of thing would enrage the entire nation?\u201d

After some thought, Xie Zhong’s face filled with horror.

\u201cThat could only be Wei Yan colluding with the rebels and murdering loyal subjects.\u201d

\u201cTo make a matter like that explode, enough people would have to die…\u201d

He could not bring himself to continue.

Finally, he only said, \u201cGrand Tutor Li surely wouldn’t be so bold as to go that far…\u201d

Xie Zheng replied, \u201cIf all they want is to fight one another to the death in court, then I could hand over Jizhou and Chongzhou without complaint.\u201d

\u201cBut if they intend to sacrifice the lives of countless soldiers in order to fabricate a historic political case and seize power, then I might as well take military authority into my own hands.\u201d

\u201cAfter all… sooner or later, I’ll have to tear into them anyway.\u201d

A trace of satisfaction appeared on Xie Zhong\u2019s face.

\u201cYour Lordship understands righteousness and has not disgraced the spirit of the Xie family. If the General knows of this in the afterlife, he would surely be proud of you.\u201d

Xie Zheng did not answer.

Instead, he leaned back slightly.

His black hair spilled loosely across his shoulders.

Within the deep shade of the bamboo grove, he gazed at the scenery beyond the waterside pavilion and said,

\u201cIf Uncle Zhong had left the capital a little later back then and taken me back to Huizhou after my mother passed away, perhaps things would have been better.\u201d

Without those more than ten years of acknowledging an enemy as his father, perhaps his heart would not carry such bitterness.

Remembering the past, Xie Zhong sighed.

\u201cAfter the General died, Madam was overwhelmed with grief and changed drastically. Originally, we intended to remain in the capital and uphold the Xie family\u2019s honor after the General\u2019s death.\u201d

\u201cBut Madam constantly blamed us for failing to protect him. Every time she saw us, she would cry until she nearly fell ill.\u201d

\u201cThe old nurse serving at Madam\u2019s side eventually persuaded us not to remain in the capital.\u201d

Lowering his head, Xie Zhong said bitterly,

\u201cFor Madam\u2019s health, we returned to Huizhou.\u201d

\u201cWho could have known that shortly afterward we would hear that Madam had taken her own life to follow the General into death?\u201d

\u201cAnd that Your Lordship had been brought into Wei Yan\u2019s household to be raised.\u201d

\u201cWe servants had no right to question our masters\u2019 decisions, so we remained in the Xie family estate in Huizhou all these years.\u201d

Xie Zheng\u2019s back suddenly stiffened.

He asked, \u201cMy mother… was the one who sent you back to Huizhou?\u201d

Xie Zhong quickly said, \u201cPlease do not blame Madam. She was overwhelmed with grief. She also didn’t know that I had already lost an arm and broken a leg and therefore had not accompanied the General to the Jinzhou battlefield.\u201d

\u201cShe blamed me for failing to protect the General.\u201d

\u201cBut I was guilty as well. I feared that staying in the capital would only make Madam more sorrowful, so I chose to leave of my own accord.\u201d

Xie Zheng lowered his eyes, deep in thought.

For a long time, he said nothing.

Along the bamboo-lined path outside the pavilion, a servant hurried over.

Stopping outside, he bowed and presented a letter.

\u201cYour Lordship, a letter from Mister Gongsun.\u201d

Xie Zhong limped out of the pavilion, took the letter, and returned it to Xie Zheng.

After reading its contents, a violent killing intent suddenly surged within Xie Zheng\u2019s cold phoenix eyes.

Extreme fury seemed to clog his chest.

Unable to suppress it, he covered his mouth and coughed.

When he spoke again, his voice was chillingly cold.

\u201cPrepare the carriage.\u201d

\u201cWe\u2019re returning to Kang City.\u201d

\u2014

After waiting many days, the eunuch sent to Kang City to deliver the imperial decree finally received news that Xie Zheng had returned.

He immediately set out in grand fashion with his entourage to announce the decree and deliver the imperial rewards.

Standing outside the City Lord\u2019s Manor where Xie Zheng was temporarily staying, he cried out loudly:

\u201cImperial decree arrives\u2014!\u201d

One of the guards at the entrance glanced at him before entering to report the news.

However, the scene the eunuch had imagined\u2014everyone rushing out in fear and delight\u2014never happened.

Gongsun Yin was famously easygoing. Whether intentionally or not, he always knew how to use pleasant words to make people feel satisfied.

But the people serving under Xie Zheng took after their master.

None of them could even be bothered to put on a show.

The eunuch stood outside the gates for the time it took three sticks of incense to burn.

Only then did someone emerge.

It wasn’t even Xie Zheng.

Judging by the armor, it was merely one of his personal guards.

The guard showed no fear as he said,

\u201cThe Marquis suffered minor injuries while suppressing bandits a few days ago. It would be inconvenient for him to personally receive Your Excellency at the gate. Please proceed to the main hall instead.\u201d

The eunuch\u2019s expression instantly darkened.

Even the young eunuch beside him had never received such treatment while traveling outside the palace.

Immediately, he pointed at the guard and shouted,

\u201cYou\u2014\u201d

The senior eunuch raised a hand to stop him.

This was Kang City, not the imperial palace.

He still understood the importance of weighing benefits and risks.

Forcing a smile onto his face, he said,

\u201cThe Marquis is worth ten thousand pieces of gold. Naturally, nothing can be allowed to happen to him. I shall deliver the decree in the main hall. Please lead the way, young general.\u201d

The guard did not spare him another glance.

\u201cPlease follow me.\u201d

The group entered the manor and headed toward the main hall.

The sunlight outside was scorching.

Yet for some reason, the hall had been designed so ingeniously that the moment one stepped inside, a wave of cool air washed over them.

The abrupt shift from heat to cold caused an inexplicable chill to run through the eunuch.

Looking toward the seat of honor, he saw a young man dressed in a black robe embroidered with dark gold and crimson patterns reclining lazily against a couch.

His face resembled cold jade.

His eyes were deep, icy pools.

Without armor, he looked less like a military commander and more like a noble young master cultivated by a prestigious family over centuries.

Steadying himself, the eunuch loudly proclaimed,

\u201cMarquis Wu’an, receive the decree\u2014!\u201d

The man seated above did not move.

Even the generals standing on either side of the steps remained expressionless.

The eunuch\u2019s sense of foreboding grew stronger.

Yet he dared not offend Xie Zheng here.

Forcing another smile, he said,

\u201cYour Lordship, please receive the decree. These are all rewards bestowed by His Majesty. Once you accept it, this old servant can return and report back.\u201d

Xie Zheng finally lifted his phoenix eyes halfway and spoke slowly.

\u201cIf you don’t read the decree, then after returning to the capital, you can simply claim it was never delivered.\u201d

\u201cBut if you read it, and I refuse to accept it, do you know what that means?\u201d

The eunuch was horrified by such outrageous words.

Pointing at him, both shocked and furious, he shouted,

\u201cRefusing an imperial decree? M-Marquis Wu’an… are you planning to rebel?\u201d

The moment those words left his mouth, armored soldiers who had somehow gathered outside flooded into the hall and surrounded the entire group.

At the sight of this, the eunuch\u2019s legs nearly gave way.

His powdered face turned deathly pale.

Trying to appear fierce despite his fear, he yelled,

\u201cYou really intend to rebel?\u201d

Xie Zheng drew the sword from a general at his side and slowly descended from the raised platform.

His black robes trailed over the steps behind him like a river carrying endless bloodshed and murderous intent.

The eunuch’s legs gave out completely.

He collapsed to the floor.

Stopping three paces away, Xie Zheng tapped the eunuch’s face lightly with the cold tip of his sword.

Half-lowering his phoenix eyes, he spoke lazily, with an unusually patient tone.

\u201cThe Xie family has served as loyal subjects of Great Yin for a hundred years.\u201d

\u201cMy father died heroically on the Jinzhou battlefield seventeen years ago and earned an eternal reputation.\u201d

\u201cI do not wish to tarnish his name, so for now I am still willing to be a loyal subject.\u201d

\u201cGo back and deliver a message to the little emperor.\u201d

\u201cIf he has grown tired of sitting on that throne, I don’t mind finding someone else to sit there instead.\u201d

\u201cSeventeen years ago, Wei Yan helped place him upon the dragon throne.\u201d

\u201cToday, I can drag him down from it.\u201d

The eunuch\u2019s entire body shook.

Pointing at Xie Zheng with trembling fingers, he cried out in rage and disbelief,

\u201cYou… the Xie family… traitors! Rebels!\u201d

\u201cAhhh\u2014!\u201d

His scream echoed through the entire manor.

With a single stroke, Xie Zheng sliced off one of his ears.

The eunuch clutched the side of his head with one hand, shrieking in agony as blood poured between his fingers.

Within moments, half his sleeve was soaked crimson.

Staring at the severed ear lying on the ground, he wailed so pitifully that he nearly fainted.

The young eunuch supporting him trembled like a leaf.

His eyes remained fixed on the bloody ear.

The stench of urine spread from beneath him, yet he seemed completely unaware.

Xie Zheng tossed the sword back to the approaching guard.

Straightening lazily, he looked with disgust at the room full of wailing figures and uttered only one sentence:

\u201cGet out and deliver the message.\u201d

Only then did the eunuchs scramble to their feet.

Supported by one another, they fled toward the exit in a panic.

Watching their retreating figures, one of the guards asked worriedly,

\u201cYour Lordship, aren’t you concerned about His Majesty’s reaction?\u201d

Xie Zheng watched the eunuch\u2019s pathetic retreat.

His gaze remained lazy, cold, and utterly indifferent.

\u201cI do indeed intend to depose the Emperor.\u201d<\/p>","protected":false},"parent":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"novel":[],"class_list":["post-3948","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/my\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/3948","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/my\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/my\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/my\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3948"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/my\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/3948\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3949,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/my\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/chapter\/3948\/revisions\/3949"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/my\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3948"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"novel","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/velvetink.xyz\/my\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/novel?post=3948"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}