Chapter 108: The Death of the Red Emperor’s Son

After Young Master Fusu left, Yang Wenhao turned and made his way to the prison, where he found Liu Bang.

The capture of Liu Bang was kept extremely secretive. Moreover, with Yi Xiaochuan no longer holding military power, he was naturally unaware of such matters.

If Yi Xiaochuan had known that Yang Wenhao had detained Liu Bang, he would have come seeking mercy no matter what.

In the dark, cold dungeon, Liu Bang was curled up on the damp straw beneath him.

In such a place, even without any incidents, one would inevitably fall into despair.

Hearing footsteps approaching, Liu Bang slightly lifted his head. His once heroic face now looked particularly haggard. When he saw Yang Wenhao, a flicker of resentment flashed deep in his eyes, briefly betraying his hidden feelings.

Though well concealed, Yang Wenhao still caught it.

Yang Wenhao smiled faintly, showing no concern, and casually ordered the warden to open the dungeon door.

A trace of confusion crossed Liu Bang’s eyes, as if unsure of Yang Wenhao’s intentions.

“Don’t want to leave?” Yang Wenhao asked.

Liu Bang looked puzzled. “Where are you taking me?”

“You’ll know once you get there,” Yang Wenhao replied.

In the end, Liu Bang slowly rose and stepped out of the prison, one step at a time.

Yang Wenhao then brought him to the Moonlit Cave.

At this time, Yi Xiaochuan was still overseeing the construction of the imperial tomb, so he naturally would not come to the Moonlit Cave. Otherwise, if Yi Xiaochuan saw this, it would be troublesome.

The Three Treasures were guarding the palace and seldom visited the Moonlit Cave either.

Yang Wenhao then arranged for the kitchen to prepare a sumptuous feast, placing the best wine and dishes before Liu Bang.

Looking at the lavish spread, Liu Bang probably had never seen such fine delicacies in his life.

In the past, he might have ravenously grabbed the chopsticks or even eaten with his hands without hesitation.

But now was different. He was no fool and seemed to understand why Yang Wenhao had prepared this feast.

“Here, a toast to you,” Yang Wenhao raised his wine cup.

Liu Bang also lifted his cup in return.

After drinking, Yang Wenhao gestured for Liu Bang to eat.

Liu Bang took a bite, but it seemed tasteless. The once sumptuous delicacies now felt like dry parchment in his mouth.

Yang Wenhao said, “Speaking of which, I must admit, I quite admire you.”

Liu Bang looked up, not understanding what Yang Wenhao meant.

“You, an ordinary magistrate of Sishui County, may seem to hold a minor official title to others. But those who truly know understand that you are no different from a commoner. Yet you are different—you refuse to be overshadowed, determined to climb step by step, even to the point of shamelessness.”

At this, Yang Wenhao glanced at Liu Bang, who gave a bitter smile.

“Enough. I won’t say more today. Whatever you want, just ask. Women, gold, treasures—I can provide it all,” Yang Wenhao said.

Liu Bang shook his head. Near death, what use did women and riches have for him? Tomorrow, he would likely be nothing more than a corpse.

After a long silence, Liu Bang suddenly spoke, “May I see the young lady, just once?”

Yang Wenhao fell silent upon hearing this. He understood exactly who the young lady was, but at this moment, allowing Liu Bang to see her was a delicate matter.

“I don’t ask for a meeting, only to catch a glimpse from afar,” Liu Bang said, fully aware that a meeting was impossible, but a glance might be allowed.

In the end, Yang Wenhao agreed.

He had promised to fulfill all of Liu Bang’s requests. Such a request was nothing to him, especially since it was only from a distance.

He carefully dressed Liu Bang, covering his face.

They arrived at the Lü residence just as Lü Zhi was leaving. From the moment she stepped out until she mounted her carriage, Liu Bang quietly watched.

Sensing something, Lü Zhi looked over. Upon seeing Yang Wenhao, her expression brightened. She hurried down from the carriage and approached him.

“Young Master Yang, what brings you here? Shall I notify Father?” she asked.

Yang Wenhao waved his hand. “No need. Just passing through. I have some matters to attend to.”

“Oh,” Lü Zhi replied, slightly disappointed. Then she noticed the figure in black beside Yang Wenhao.

Only a pair of eyes were visible. Those eyes seemed familiar to her, but she couldn’t recall where she had seen them before.

“Young Master Yang, who is he?” Lü Zhi asked.

Liu Bang tried to speak but was silenced by Yang Wenhao. Yang Wenhao said, “He’s a friend of mine. I have urgent matters, so I must leave first.”

“Oh,” Lü Zhi nodded.

She watched from behind as Liu Bang and Yang Wenhao walked side by side, gradually disappearing into the distance.

Lü Zhi kept pondering whose eyes those were—so familiar.

As they vanished from sight, she suddenly shuddered. She recalled someone whose gaze resembled those eyes, but with one difference: those eyes now held a profound sadness.

“Impossible,” Lü Zhi shook her head.

She had asked Yang Wenhao, and the final verdict was that Liu Bang had been executed according to the law.

By all rights, he should no longer exist.

Elsewhere, back at the residence, Liu Bang removed the cloth covering his face, revealing his haggard appearance.

He sighed deeply, looking up at the sky. “So I was wrong all along.”

Then he turned to Yang Wenhao. “Kill me.”

Yang Wenhao held no weapon but instead took out a small vial of medicine.

A white ceramic bottle, its contents hidden.

Liu Bang guessed it was poison.

Though not yet emperor, Liu Bang carried the bearing of a sovereign. When death came, it had to be dignified.

This poison had been specially procured by Yang Wenhao; it caused no pain upon ingestion.

Knowing his fate was sealed, Liu Bang stretched out his hand to receive the vial, opened the lid, and swallowed it in one gulp.

At first, there was no reaction, but soon the poison took effect.

With a thud, Liu Bang collapsed to the ground, eyes closed. If not for his stopped breathing, one might have thought he had merely fallen asleep.

Looking down at Liu Bang’s still form, Yang Wenhao sighed. “Perhaps this is fate. You became an emperor in the real world, but in this one, sorry—I don’t want you to be emperor.”

“Ding! Congratulations to the host for defeating the Red Emperor’s scion, Liu Bang. As he had not yet ascended the throne, the points awarded are halved. You receive 500 points.”

“What the—500 points!”

Yang Wenhao was momentarily stunned.

Half was 500 points, so the full amount would be 1,000 points.

Mind you, in the past two years, he had only slain minor foes, accumulating just over a thousand points.

(End of chapter)