𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐲'𝐬 𝐇𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝 || 敵の旦那様 (𝐁𝐋) ✔ [COMPLETE]

67. The Pawn

Haoran was a great pawn.

An Empire is one of rise and fall; one of changing tides and differences that meld the failure or the success of a dynasty in its entirety. In Emperor Guang's pursuit of such an indomitable era, there was one variable that remained unchanging: Haoran and Haoran alone.

Emperor Guang's gaze fell on the General, who had hunched over on the ground, grovelling before his feet. His lips curled in a warped smile.

No, indeed, Haoran was the best pawn.

Even under the criminalization of treachery, Imperial General Haoran was one that wielded the power and trust of the Blazing Sun Army to such an extent that his people still respected him.

Those army bastards definitely saw what he did in letting that scrawny mosquito shit off and still denied having seen anything related to that. He had such power under him and Emperor Guang was no fool–he knew that if Haoran wanted to, he could seize the throne for himself right under Guang's nose. But that's exactly what made Haoran such a precious pawn.

He'd kill himself before he laid his hands on the Emperor.

He was an indestructible man who carried the military power of an entire Empire on his back and yet was nothing but an obedient mongrel in his—Emperor Guang's—hands. This symbol of living and breathing power house was nothing but his personal, precious lap dog.

This was his basis for the kind of man–the kind of Emperor–he was today.

Haoran was his pillar and crux of political stability within the Empire. Any qualms the courtiers had about his ascension died at their throat when they saw Haoran's fiery gaze from behind him. He'd wipe clean anything and anyone Emperor Gang desired without so much as a question and was an unfettered source of devotion that was void of defection fear. And that was why Haoran had been granted a position greater than the nobility or even royalty within the Empire, because to Guang it was power worth sharing. Because to Haoran, despite whatever power he held, there was something he held above any of that: Emperor Guang.

This was the backdrop under which he planned the capture of Silver Mountain.

From securing rations to tracking down embezzlement, sending spies, gathering intelligence, and even the act of dragging the whole war for over a decade since his enthronement had been to expose this one moment of weakness from the Silver Mountain. He planned every single thread of this ugly match only to make the unforeseen mistake of overlooking the one changing variable; Haoran's betrayal.

Emperor Guang's hands balled into fists.

The signs were all there, but he had been completely blindsided by Haoran's years of devotion that he had gone to let his own dog allow the lot of Silver Mountain imperial bastards to escape to the Taihe continent.

He felt an ugly sense of betrayal well up within him. It wasn't about a mere bruise in his ego of losing his favourite lap dog... it was about how he had lost his pillar and pedestal of power and stability.

Haoran should rightfully die for his action and yet Guang felt he could revert Haoran into the dog he was by granting him unwarranted mercy—build a new bridge of loyalty by the throes of guilt and gratefulness. And yet...

All this idiot ever wants is to die!

And therefore he had to unwillingly utter, "Thus in accordance with the practice of capital punishment relevant to all forms of treachery within the supreme Empire of Blazing Sun, I order his death by cremation—to be burnt alive."

When the fire started crawling into Haoran's skin, he wanted to get up and disappear. Burning there was not just Haoran—it was his power, too.

He bit his lips, getting up, but the next moment felt the shadow of somebody moving. The sound of water splashing and clay shattering rang out through the hall.

"Excuse my rude entrance, Your Imperial Royal Majesty."

Emperor Guang's eyes glittered as he sneered at the unwelcome intruder. "You have some guts coming here even after all the blood debt between us, former seventh prince Fu Lin."

"Indeed, Sire."

There he was—-the man that had been the cause of this ugly mess stood defiantly as always. He looked haggard and malnourished, wearing some rags and dishcloths in the name of robes, and his large eyes had opened a tad bit higher as he heaved in front of Haoran. He had broken a clay pot of water on Haoran by putting out the fire. And Haoran looked devastated at his arrival, as if all his sacrifices had been doused in water.

Emperor Guang almost wanted to laugh. What an utter and imbecile fool! Not only did he fall for an overcooked rice face, he doesn't even realise how badly he's been tricked by this beat up mosquito.

"I cannot imagine," Emperor Guang began tapping his hands on the throne, "That anybody would be morose enough to walk right into a death trap without solid reason. Could it be..." His eyes darkened, "...that you are here to distract me with your bullshit while your soldiers come behind me to slit my throat?"

Fu Lin gulped, "I am here to offer you my life."

"What..." The Emperor stopped his tapping, raising a brow, "do you mean?"

The hall erupted into a clatter as Haoran struggled to get out of the ropes binding him. Fu Lin spared him no glance as he continued to look at the Emperor, his eyes not reflecting the slightest bit of remorse.

"It's exactly as I said," Fu Lin knelt before him, meeting the Emperor's gaze unflinching, "I am here to offer my life as a trade of bargain. Will the Emperor be willing to negotiate further?"

"It depends on what your end of the bargain is," countered the Emperor, "And how much I have to lose. So state your terms. What do you need in return?"

"Nothing much, Your Majesty." His words delivered the worst blow Haoran could have gotten in a lifetime,

"I simply want you to spare General Haoran's life in exchange for mine."

***

Author's Note: 

First up, sorry x million times for getting late to get back with an update!人(_ _*) *Deep bow of apology* 

But the good news?? I've resigned from my job and now I have enough free time to UPDATE HUEHUE~~ (๑˃ᴗ˂)ﻭ 

I've been cooking some new story ideas as well so stay tuned! I'll be sticking to consistent updates from tomorrow, preferably twice a week since I'll want to finish this asap!💘

You know what they say, new year, fresh start! 

Happy New Year lovelies!! May all your dreams for this year come true (๑>◡<๑)