Chapter 57: Does Change Count as Betrayal? (Part 1)

  The King of Chu was furious, with hundreds of guards gathered outside the gate and many more sent to chase after the black-clad man, but all to no avail.

  Luosha saw that the opportunity to kill King Chu had been lost, and she was also frightened by the sudden appearance of the black-clothed man, so she decided to retreat first. After all, King Chu would still be ill, and there would be other opportunities in the future.

  It turned out that the King of Chu now considered safety more important than anything else, and the two honors of Hu Guo Shen Jiao and Hu Guo Shen Nu, which were originally promised to be granted after recovery, were almost immediately given. Moreover, Luo Siqi, who had just been awarded the title of Hu Guo Shen Nu, was specially arranged to live in a place closest to the King of Chu's bedroom, which originally belonged to Mengying, but now it was also let out to her.

  Perhaps in King of Chu's current view, his safety is obviously above everything else, and the favored concubine is just a fleeting cloud.

  Meng Ying moved to a slightly farther place, moving out of the luxurious palace for other women. She didn't show any dissatisfaction, after all, the safety of King Chu was also extremely important to her.

  When Mengying said to Luosiqi: "I entrust everything to you." At that time, Luosiqi could see that she sincerely hoped for the safety of King Chu.

  Luosi began to feel some sympathy for Mengying. When she was still in modern society, many people said that Mengying was a femme fatale, saying that not only did she marry the father of Prince Jian, who should have been her husband, but also gave birth to a child and took away Prince Jian's throne. However, Luosi looked at this quiet and unassuming woman and couldn't help but feel some pity for her: "She is just a weak woman from a faraway place, she only wants to live a good life! What can she do?"

  Luoshiqi, who had been reinstated, was not only granted the title of Protector Goddess for her meritorious service in saving the king's life, but also allowed to move four concubines into her new residence to live with her. She was even permitted to wear a sword in any place within Chu State, including the King of Chu's bedroom.

  The King of Chu specially ordered someone to make a small plaque with the words "Hold Sword in All Directions" for Luosi Qi, telling her that as long as she had this plaque, she would not have to hand over her sword no matter where she went in Chu State, including important city guards and military camps.

  Such privilege is unprecedented, and it's not just Chu State, but also other vassal states that have never had anyone receive this or similar treatment.

  Luoshi was already somewhat enjoying the privilege of holding this small plaque and looking at it, her current prestige had obviously far surpassed Fei Tianwu, not to mention Fei Wuji, who had been plotting against the Wu family when the person who was second only to the king of Chu was not around and had succeeded.

  When various gorgeous dresses were brought up by groups of maids with wooden trays, she had an idea: why not spare the King of Chu for now and enjoy this era a bit more?

  Fresh fruit, noble status, many maidservants serving her.

  She's just a seventeen-year-old girl! She suddenly felt that even if she returned to modern times, her life wouldn't be any better than it is now!

  At this time, the King of Chu's complexion in his bedroom was much better than when he was ill, but he was furious. With his temperament, he was most afraid of assassination and hated it the most. When he conspired to kill others before, he thought it was for a great cause and was justified. But once the object of this conspiracy became himself, it was simply unforgivable! If he didn't catch those three black-clad men who escaped and tear them limb from limb, or if he didn't torture their mastermind to death, he would never give up.

  The King of Chu's pursuit of the black-clad man lasted for nearly a month.

  In this month, Luoxi would see the King of Chu every day. At first, she was a bit nervous, but after confirming that she wouldn't kill the King of Chu for now, she began to worry that if she couldn't cure the King's illness, it would be better to just kill him early on. This way, not only would the happy life she had just started enjoying instantly become an illusion, but she would also become a wanted criminal throughout the kingdom of Chu.

  The three black-clad men who escaped, including the corpse they took with them, were not found. The guards only picked up a small nameplate that one of the black-clad men dropped while climbing over the wall during the pursuit.

  The size of the token was similar to the small token that Luosi got from the King of Chu, and it was also made of gold. However, the craftsmanship was much worse than the small golden token with a moon and landscape on it that Luosi had. Unlike the four characters "Holding Sword in Eight Directions" engraved on Luosi's small token, the four characters engraved on the token dropped by the assassin were actually "Supporting the New King"!

  These four words were like a time bomb that would explode at the slightest touch during this period when King Chu was chasing after the black-clad man, not only did the ministers dare not mention it, but even King Chu himself seemed to be completely unaware of it and refused to discuss it.

  The King of Chu miraculously recovered within a month, which made him even more convinced of Luoshiqi's abilities. After some thought, Luoshiqi also understood the problem and realized that the king's illness was entirely due to killing Wu Zixu and forcing away the crown prince. As the Prince of Chu, he had witnessed too many bloody power struggles, and his current throne was also obtained by deceiving and forcing his two brothers to commit suicide.

  So once it involves things that may threaten his throne, he immediately becomes suspicious and violent. He is not unaware that the crown prince has always been his own beloved son, nor is he unaware that Wu Xian is a loyal minister. The possibility of him conspiring with the crown prince is less than one in ten.

  It was then that one tenth of the time, when Wei Wuzi said to him on that day with extreme anxiety: "If the king does not take control now, things will be settled, and the king will be captured." At this point, his cautious and self-protective personality led him to refuse the risk once again.

  Wu Ju and Wu Shang died, Crown Prince Jian escaped from Chu State, his safety and throne were preserved. When Chengfu Sima Jiyang reported back that he had let the crown prince go without killing him, after all, now he only has one adult son, in case something happens to him in the future, he must ensure that his son can return to rule Chu State.

  Such an idea only occurred to him when his throne was secure and he had calmed down from his rage. He had already driven the crown prince out, and the crown prince's most powerful teacher had been killed by himself, so as long as he did not die, the crown prince would have no power to seize his throne. If he died, these ministers below would also have to welcome back his son, although Fei Wuji's power was great at present, but the political power of Chu State was supported by many clans, and when the time came, it was him who feared that the crown prince would come back to settle accounts with him, and he could not contend against so many clans.

  However, the illness of King Chu was still caused by killing Wu Zixu, who had been loyal to the state of Chu all along, and driving away his own son. If the crown prince really did not have a rebellious heart and was completely framed by Fei Wuji, then this brief turmoil can be said to have brought great losses to the state of Chu. Although the crown prince may have been welcomed back after his death, it cannot be guaranteed that outsiders will not take advantage of the situation. As the saying goes, everything has a negative effect, and King Chu's illness gradually came with a thread of regret.