How many years had it been since Chang'an had last seen a scene like this?
These Liu Clan Princes and Thorough Marquises entered Chang'an like frost-withered eggplants, their faces ashen and their heads hanging.
Inside Changle Palace.
Luo Jing stood in the hall. Liu Heng circled him once before finally relaxing, patting his shoulder and laughing loudly. "Jing, as long as you weren't hurt! You did well this time. To think you achieved such tremendous results so quickly!"
Luo Jing knew perfectly well that the information his family had sent had saved most of the time. All he had done was make a few unremarkable, correct choices at the right moments.
After praising Luo Jing, Liu Heng offered encouragement to Zhou Yafu and the others before turning his gaze to the princes and lords who had been trembling all this time.
The change was plain to see: Liu Heng, who had been all smiles a moment earlier, was instantly consumed with anger. He wanted to find a sharp sword and stab every last one of these relatives of his to death, but reason still brought him back under control.
Liu Heng walked around them once, then said with feeling, "When King Wen of Luo first returned power to me, I wanted to create a flourishing age as he had, so I asked King Wen for counsel: how could I ensure that Great Han would always flourish and forge ahead?
"King Wen said, 'You need only find the grave affliction lurking in Great Han's heart and resolve it, and Great Han will flourish forever.'
"I asked again, 'Then what is this grave affliction in Great Han's heart?'
"King Wen said, 'Such afflictions change at every moment. Once you resolve one great danger, another will arise. Even I do not know what