Chapter 36: Zhao Kuangyin's Furious Rage

A crushing, overwhelming killing intent surged forth! The air turned thick with the metallic tang of blood; faint sounds of clashing weapons seemed to echo, chilling one to the bone. In this state, Zhao Kuangyin was far more terrifying than Li Cheng had ever seen him before. At this moment, he was not only a furious emperor but also an unparalleled warrior who had carved his path through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, a man who held the power of life and death over countless others. He was a living Yama, the harbinger of death.

Li Cheng had never expected that Zhao Kuangyin, who seemed to have accepted everything he had said, would suddenly erupt in such rage. Caught completely off guard, he watched the jade axe rapidly enlarge before his eyes, its sharp edge slicing through the air. His mind went blank for a split second, his body frozen, unable to dodge. For a moment, he felt as if he were seeing his own ancestors beckoning from the beyond.

Just as he thought he was truly about to be finished off by the Great Ancestor, the axe stopped less than half a foot from his face. The gust of wind it generated whipped his hair back, making him shiver violently.

"Speak! Who instructed you to tell me these things? Why are you so meticulously plotting to sow discord between me and my brother? Do you want to plunge the Great Song into chaos and have us turn our blades against our own kin?!"

Zhao Kuangyin glared at Li Cheng, his voice heavy with a grim, bone-chilling murderous aura. The sight of the jade axe—shimmering with cold light and seemingly ready to split his skull at any moment—made Li Cheng’s heart race like a war drum.

Li Cheng gasped for air, struggling to steady himself. "Your Majesty, stop the tests! No one instructed me. I have simply shared what I know based on historical records. That is all. I have no ulterior motives!"

Even though Li Cheng realized that Zhao Kuangyin was merely conducting another test to ensure the validity of this shocking and difficult-to-accept revelation, his frustration mounted. One could understand the Emperor’s caution, but being the subject of such a test was far from pleasant. This kind of intimidation could literally scare a man to death! Consequently, his attitude hardened, and his tone turned cold.

Zhao Kuangyin held the axe steady before Li Cheng’s face, his killing intent undiminished. "Heh, still trying to quibble? Do you think I don't know? You tell me these things only because my third brother’s men seized the perfume you worked so hard to create, demanded the formula, and tried to bleed you dry. You bear a grudge against him and want him dead! That is why you concocted this story to slander him, hoping to use my hand to kill him and vent your spite!"

Li Cheng suppressed his fear and looked Zhao Kuangyin straight in the eye. "Zhao Guangyi’s men did bully me, and I am indeed angry. I do want to vent that frustration. But what I told you is the truth. I have not exaggerated, nor have I slandered him. My special status as a traveler dictates that I cannot lie, especially regarding matters of such gravity. If I lose your trust, the consequences will be dire—it would trigger a chain reaction, and nothing I say in the future would be believed. I am dissatisfied with the Prince of Jin, but I would never fabricate lies to trick you into killing him!"

"You are a narrow-minded man who demands an eye for an eye. You were willing to risk my wrath, even death, just to ensure that Qian Cheng, who offended you, was finished. Why wouldn't you use such methods to harm my third brother? You are certainly capable of it!"

Zhao Kuangyin’s killing intent grew even more suffocating, enough to overwhelm any ordinary man.

"I will say it again: I will not fabricate lies to manipulate you into dealing with the Prince of Jin. Whether you believe me or not is up to you!"

The two locked in a tense, silent standoff for over twenty seconds. Finally, Zhao Kuangyin withdrew the jade axe, and the suffocating aura vanished as quickly as it had appeared, as if it had all been a mere hallucination.

"It is not that I do not believe you, Young Master Li; it is simply that your words were too unexpected and scandalous—things I had never even imagined. The matter is of great importance, concerning both my brotherly bond and the very foundation of the Song Dynasty. I had to be cautious. I had no choice but to resort to such a desperate measure. Do not take offense, Young Master Li."

Seeing the Emperor, in all his dignity, offer a sincere apology, Li Cheng was stunned. Was it from Zhao Kuangyin that the art of facial-changing was born? If anyone ever called Zhao Kuangyin "kind-hearted" again, he would surely spit in their face. Was this kindness? As expected, no founding emperor was simple; at the very least, their skin was thick enough. One moment he was brandishing an axe, ready to kill; the next, he was full of sincerity, shedding all imperial airs. It was truly a masterclass in manipulation.

"Your Majesty, in the future, just speak plainly. Do not try to scare people like that. I am a timid man. If you scare me to death, or if I lose my memory and forget everything, that would be a disaster. I am just a nobody, and life in this era is already difficult enough. If I die, I die—it’s not like I haven't died before."

Li Cheng lacked Zhao Kuangyin’s thick skin and couldn't flip his emotions like a switch. He had been terrified, and he was angry. Even with the explanation, he couldn't just let it go.

Zhao Kuangyin’s eyes twitched. He looked at the calm youth who claimed to be "timid" and found himself at a loss for words. *Timid?* After he had apologized as an emperor, this boy dared to talk back like that—his guts were reaching the heavens! He was one of a kind in the entire Great Song. He had never seen anyone so "timid."

"Fine, I promise you. This is the last time. I will never do it again." Zhao Kuangyin agreed decisively. On one hand, he needed Li Cheng, who was irreplaceable; on the other, he knew that after two such tests, the tactic would no longer work.

Seeing Zhao Kuangyin’s concession, Li Cheng’s tense expression finally eased.

"If he took the throne in such a rush, and I died under such mysterious circumstances... then... the Great Song must have fallen into utter chaos, right?" Zhao Kuangyin asked, sinking back into his chair, his mood heavy. He knew the answer would likely be exactly as he feared. With the current officials and generals, if his third brother truly dared to commit such an act, holding onto that throne would be no easy feat. As a founding emperor, he was no incompetent last ruler; he would not simply vanish into silence!

At the same time, he finally understood why it would take years for the Song to conquer Northern Han. It confirmed his suspicion: had he not passed away and had his third brother not usurped the throne, plunging the country into internal strife, the campaign against Northern Han would not have taken nearly so long after the fall of Southern Tang.