Chapter 82 Carving a phoenix seal for his sister-in-law by hand?

Spring seemed to have never visited the imperial city; a sinister and eerie atmosphere lingered in every corner of it.

Especially after the morning court session, the sky is dark and hazy, obscuring the daylight.

Song Yunmian emerged from the council hall, followed not far behind by Xin Huai, the third-ranking official in the Directorate of Ceremonial, who was currently enjoying favor. Song Yunmian found him to be efficient, intelligent, and, most importantly, quiet, which pleased him greatly.

Song Yunmian's journey was aimless, and Xin Huai didn't ask anything from beginning to end, his presence was almost negligible.

On the contrary, Song Yunmian took the initiative to say when he saw the palace library from afar, "When my mother was still alive, I loved to play in that library the most."

He was still young then, and he couldn't recognize many words or have the patience to read.

But he just loved going there; he slept better in the library than anywhere else.

Song Yunmian didn't ask any questions, so Xin Huai didn't respond either.

Just as he guessed, Song Yunmian simply remembered the matter and brought it up without intending to chat with anyone.

"I remember there were several pear trees planted on one side of the library. The pears were green-skinned, not a particularly valuable variety, but their fragrance was still very strong..."

Song Yunmian revealed many details about the palace, leading Xin Huai to guess that he had actually deeply loved the palace as his home. It was just a pity that his mother died in the power struggles of the harem.

If Lady Yan hadn't died back then, Song Yunmian might have truly become a refined and noble young man, just like his appearance suggested.

However, it's no use trying to trace the source now.

After he had slaughtered so many civilians in Lingdong without cause, the general could not let him go.

As they were talking, Song Yunmian seemed to suddenly remember something and asked Xin Huai, "Xin Huai, where is your hometown? I've never heard you mention it before?"

Xin Huai was alarmed, but remained outwardly calm.

"This servant comes from a small town on the far south, named Chang Le."

Chang Le?

Song Yunmian spoke softly, then smiled and said, "It sounds like a good place."

As soon as he finished speaking, Song Yunmian's gaze shifted away from the library, and at the same time, his warmth seemed to be drawn away as well.

He then went to the central palace.

The reason it's said "again" is because he would come every seven or eight days, taking pleasure in provoking the Empress and the Second Prince. But he couldn't come often, probably because the sight of the two of them made him feel disgusted. Now that Princess Zhaohua has been taken away by Prince Jingxian, only the most honored mother and son in the world remain in the vast Empress's Palace.

"Shouldn't this farce end soon?"

Song Yunmian asked in a low voice. There was no one in front of him, and Xin Huai was only half a zhang away from him, so he naturally couldn't hear such a faint sound.

He was asking himself that question.

The answer is: It really should end.

Urgent report from the front.

Wu Tingshan is not dead at all. Not only is he alive, but he is also fighting against the Canglan Army near Qingshi Pass, and his combat strength is even higher than before.

Ji Yujing had already reached Mingyue Pass, but he didn't kill Zhang Huining. However, Zhang Huining still died; he chose to commit suicide, probably because he didn't want to be caught in a dilemma any longer.

With his death, only Zhao Xinkuo remained as a capable general in the court. However, due to the fates of His Majesty and Marquis Lin, he fell ill and was unable to attend court.

Whether it was a real illness or not, Song Yunmian had no way of knowing. But every time he sent someone to check on Zhao Xinkuo, he was running a high fever, and the imperial physicians' examinations confirmed that it wasn't a ruse.

It's laughable, really, that such a great dynasty needed the help of a tyrannical ruler to quell a rebellion.

However, none of these are the most important things. The most important thing right now is to kill the Empress and the Second Prince.

Are they waiting for Wu Tingshan to come back and save them?

He won't give them that opportunity because they don't deserve it.

Upon arriving at the central palace, Song Yunlan was feeding the Empress water.

The Empress's mind was now in disarray. One moment she felt like an eight-year-old child, innocently asking Song Yunlan and the eunuch for candy; the next moment she claimed to be the Empress, frequently pointing her finger and saying she would order someone to be put to death.

Everything is strange; the physical body is not dead yet, so there is not much meaning in living anymore.

Whenever Song Yunlan saw her mother like this, she felt that the imperial city was a place that devoured people. If her mother had not entered the palace, and had been able to roam freely in the vast western lands, her heart would probably not have been entirely devoted to one man, thus preventing her from developing an obsession.

He was raised by his maternal grandfather from a young age, and he is upright and honest. He might already be a renowned general by now.

Self-reflection has come, but unfortunately it's too late.

When Song Yunlan saw Song Yunmian again, she put down the bowl and walked towards him.

The two brothers stood facing each other, staring at each other for a moment, before Song Yunlan spoke first.

"Whether your mother was killed by my mother or not, I was younger than you at the time and I really don't know. But if she really did kill her, it's only natural for you to want revenge."

After a brief pause, he said, "I'll give you my life in exchange for your release of my mother. Can you hand her over to my uncle? She's already delirious; it makes no difference whether she's dead or alive."

Song Yunmian laughed, again and again.

He didn't really want to laugh, but the sound just kept coming out of his throat, and he couldn't suppress it.

"Song Yunlan, how can you be so naive? At a time like this, you still have the right to negotiate with me?"

Song Yunlan: "I'm begging you."

Song Yunmian: "Beg? Then kneel down and lick my shoes."

Without any hesitation, Song Yunlan knelt down, lowered his head, and actually began licking Song Yunmian's shoes.

The old nannies in the palace who had watched him grow up were heartbroken and turned their heads away, unable to bear to look at him anymore.

That's enough.

Song Yunmian couldn't bear to see the deep affection between mother and son, especially Song Yunlan and the Empress.

He raised his foot and kicked Song Yunlan in the face, again and again.

"If only you had known then what you know now! So many people have suffered because of you, some died young, how come you are still alive?"

"Has the sky gone blind?"

Song Yunmian did not take any medication, but he continued to act erratically day by day.

"Someone, take the Second Prince and the Empress to the underworld to have tea with the King of Hell."

Wu Tingshan, what good is it for you to be alive?

One by one, the younger generation died, and although the house remained, it was already dilapidated and could never be the same again.

The Silver Shield Army soldiers personally administered the medicine, their actions swift and ruthless. In no time at all, the medicine was in the stomachs of Song Yunlan and the Empress. Neither of them made a fuss; Song Yunmian liked this quietude born of despair and resignation.

"Gentlemen, shall we enjoy our final moments before we die?"

After finishing her words, Song Yunmian was about to leave when she noticed that most of the old nannies and palace guards in the inner palace had wet eyes. She paused for a few moments, then curled her lips into a smile and said, "Since they are so loyal, let them go with you."

Who knows if anyone here helped the Empress poison his mother?

Better to kill the innocent than let the guilty go free.

...

Zhang Qiyuan occupied Mingyue Pass, but he didn't take the initiative to fight, and he ignored the Ningdong Army's calls for battle. Now, the stalemate has lasted for quite some time, and the time has slipped from April to early May.

Ji Yujing wasn't in a hurry. Now that there were cities in the rear where they could rest and that supplies were guaranteed, and with frequent reports of victories from various regions, he felt even more at ease.

In his view, "consumption" meant giving the soldiers time to rest and recharge.

Unexpectedly, the situation changed drastically overnight.

News came from the palace that the Second Prince and the Empress had been poisoned by the Crown Prince and died in the Empress's palace. Also killed were an old nanny and a eunuch who had served in the Empress's palace for many years.

Song Yunmian is going increasingly insane.

Upon hearing this news, Song Yunyan, who was far away in the south, immediately set off for Lingdong to meet Lin Qingdai.

He arrived at that time in the early morning.

Lin Qingdai was having breakfast in the flower hall. In the midst of the vibrant spring of May, she increasingly preferred to stay in the flower hall, where the doors and windows could be pushed open and pulled.

She saw Song Yunyan "absent from his post," but she didn't say a word of reprimand. She knew he probably knew about what happened in the capital and was anxious to save his mother.

After Song Yunyan sat down, she spoke for the first time, "Fourth Brother wants to send troops to attack the Crown Prince?"

As they spoke, she even personally ladled a bowl of soup and pushed it in front of him, truly treating Song Yunyan as an older brother.

Song Yunyan: "Is that alright? He's gone mad, and I'm worried about my mother."

"I have no other wish but to bring my mother to the south. She would be happy to play with Aunt Zhuo every day."

Lin Qingdai: "Drink the soup first to calm your emotions."

Song Yunyan: "..."

He couldn't slow down at all, but he had to listen to Dai Dai.

He immediately drank the soup. After finishing the bowl, he felt much better.

Meanwhile, Lin Qingdai didn't stop to drink her own bowl of hot soup. Only after finishing did she recount the matter in detail.

"You can return with the army, but you must not let the outside world know."

Why?

"You said Song Yunmian has gone mad. If you return to the capital in a high-profile manner, the Imperial Concubine might not be able to wait for you to come and pick her up."

If she guessed correctly, the news that Wu Tingshan was still alive hastened the deaths of the Second Prince and the Empress. Similarly, Song Yunyan's unusual behavior might also provoke him.

Originally, he probably never even thought of the Imperial Concubine.

Because the Imperial Concubine was so quiet, so quiet that no one noticed her presence. Just as she had said before, in the treacherous inner court, the Imperial Concubine had also protected herself very well.

This is great wisdom.

"Understood."

"Let Qin Yining lead his troops into the capital, and I will follow secretly. That way, I won't provoke Song Yunmian."

Having figured things out, Song Yunyan smiled, his brows relaxed and his eyes brightened.

"Dai Dai, this family can't do without you."

Lin Qingdai was amused by him, "It's good that you know."

"It's time to send troops. It's not good for General Ji to stay at Mingyue Pass any longer."

"Fourth Brother, make some noise to help him."

After listening, Song Yunyan couldn't help but say, "So you're starting to side with outsiders, aren't you?"

Lin Qingdai: "No, I mediated so that the two of you could get along well. In the future, when we return to the capital, we can all live together."

Song Yunyan imagined the future and felt that breaking the deadlock for his brother-in-law wasn't a big deal.

"Alright! I will return to the south immediately and muster my troops to enter the capital."

Lin Qingdai: "..." Is there really no need to be in such a hurry?

Central Taiwan is usually warm, but by May, the daytime sun can be scorching and dry. Only at night, with the cool moon and gentle breeze, does it become somewhat cooler.

At the end of Hai hour (9-11 PM), in the Ningdong Army's encampment, the lights were still burning in the central command tent. Having just gotten up from his nighttime duties, he noticed the "urgent matter" and went inside to investigate.

There are only a handful of people in the entire Ningdong Army who dare to enter the tent like this, and some of them are not even here.

Ji Yujing knew them all very well. When they came in, he didn't even look up. He sat steadily behind the table, meticulously carving a piece of jade.

If Song Yunyan were here, he would surely recognize that this white jade came from Qishan, and that the Emperor and Empress's Phoenix Seal was also made of this jade.

Cong Xin casually sat down in front of Ji Yujing, stared at him for a while, and then said, "Brother, what are you sculpting here in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?"

"A big bird?"

It seems similar now.

Ji Yujing: "..."

Only then did he look up at Cong Xin, his dark eyes cold and piercing, with a line of words etched in them: "Are you blind?"

She understood his gaze anew and burst into laughter.

"It's not a bird?"

Ji Yujing: "If you don't want to get beaten up, get lost."

After saying that, he started carving jade again.

He hadn't left yet; after laughing enough, he spoke again, "For your sister-in-law?"

Ji Yujing remained silent, but from the new understanding, silence meant acquiescence.

"Carve a phoenix seal for your sister-in-law by hand?"

That night, the new IQ suddenly leaped, breaking the historical peak.

Ji Yujing's fingers trembled slightly, a sign of his emotional fluctuation.

After a moment of silence, he softly hummed in agreement.

Now that the army has arrived, there's no need to hide anything anymore, especially since the person in front of him is a new brother who fought alongside him against foreign enemies to build the empire.

"Brother, you're really good at making your wife happy. When I get married in the future, can you teach me a few tricks?"

Ji Yujing looked at Congxin again, "What kind of wife do you want to marry? After the war, when everything is settled, let Dai Dai arrange for you to meet some."

!!

"Really?"

"real."

"The people my sister-in-law knows are all from high-class families, or they are people with special skills like Mingqian and Mingyue."

"Does the Great General feel he is not worthy?"

Before Xin could speak, Ji Yujing added, "I think you're worthy of him."

This is almost a compliment.

Cong Xin was immediately satisfied and said with a smile, "Then it's settled. Boss, you must remember what you said."

"If you leave now, I will remember this forever."

"Let's go, let's go! I'm leaving now! I'll conserve my energy, take Mingyue Pass, and get married as soon as possible."

He shouted at the top of his lungs, expressing his urgent desire to get married.

When he gets a wife, he'll carve her a jade ornament, one that'll surely be more beautiful than the big bird the eldest brother carved.

After leaving, the tent returned to silence.

Ji Yujing stroked the phoenix's wings, "Dai Dai, wait for me a little longer."

He would present her with the phoenix seal he had carved himself, for the land is beautiful and should be governed by a wise and benevolent ruler.

As May entered its second half, Ji Yujing's white jade phoenix seal was nearly finished being carved. He placed it together with the jade ornament that Dai Dai had given him when they were young, keeping it close to his body and protecting it.

A new day begins, at dawn, the air already dry and crisp.

Ji Yujing personally led 5,000 soldiers to launch a surprise attack on Mingyue Pass. Zhang Qiyuan refused to meet them, so they had no choice but to force their way in.

"Boss, be careful. Your sister-in-law..."

If he gets hurt or bumped, and has to go through that ordeal again like last time, the boss might go crazy.

"Yes, I'll be careful."

Therefore, he had been waiting for Lin Qingyu to make special black armor for the assault team, which could protect against ordinary arrows and sharp weapons.

Yesterday, the black armor finally arrived at the army base and became the protection for the assault team soldiers, saving their lives in critical moments.

He tried it himself last night.

I have to say, having a brother-in-law is really great. He no longer has to shoulder everything alone; he has family, a wife, brothers, friends, and those talkative but reliable old men who are always there when it counts…

He wanted to live a long time.

As far as the eye can see, these people are all living in their own way.

When the raiding party approached Mingyue Pass under the moonlight, they were told to "retreat if the situation becomes critical, and not to fight a direct confrontation."

"We have plenty of time."

"Understood, boss. We're just going to test the strength of the richest team in Xun Kingdom."

A wolf-like team seems to never know what fear is.

They become stronger when faced with stronger opponents, determined to win in any competition.

They silently crossed the crisscrossing chain locks, approaching Mingyue Pass. Ropes with hooks were thrown up the city walls, some successfully, some not. Something sticky and slimy had been smeared on the walls.

"Don't touch it, in case it's poisonous."

They tried it with a stick, and it stuck to the surface and couldn't move an inch. This unexpected discovery made the eyes of the battle-hardened Ji Yujing and his soldiers light up.

Will Mr. Yu-Ning's foot pedal come in handy?

It's called a foot pedal, but it's actually just a thin piece of material. Laymen can't explain the specific material, but its load-bearing capacity is truly strong.

A sense of unease inevitably arose in my heart, yet hope remained.

If they can really stick to it, these people know light-footed skills and can leap onto the city wall with just a little support.

Several people took out foot pedals at the same time and stuck them to the wall with the short side facing out.

They're all stuck together.

Even Zhang Qiyuan is helping them.

Ji Yujing laughed, "Throw it upwards, it'll go wherever it lands."

All soldiers, listen to my command.

When there were enough footholds on the city wall, Ji and Jing used these few supports to climb straight up, as swift as the wind.

Everything went smoothly and we landed safely.

Unexpectedly, before he could do anything, arrows came from all directions.

Ji and Jing drew their swords and struck swiftly.

The arrows struck the ground with a thud.

"Zhang Qiyuan, how long are you going to hide?"

"You think these rotten arrows can kill me?"

His voice, amplified by his inner strength, reverberated far and wide.

However, Zhang Qiyuan did not appear. Instead, a voice suddenly came from the top of the wall, "What about my arrow?"

As they spoke, the arrow was already released, heading straight for Ji Yujing's head.

The wind blew, the sound was deafening and startling.

The visitor was Wu Tingshan's senior brother, the renowned Sword King Luo Tingzhou.

He took Zhang Qiyuan's gift of Rushan and came to kill Ji Yujing.

Ji Yujing knew he had fallen into a trap, but he was determined to break through the city no matter what. So be it, he had come up.

But only one battle.