Chapter 225 A Stroll Through the Woods, A Great Battle Imminent...

Chen Fu then sent a message saying that all the guards in the south of the city had been taken care of, and that they should launch a surprise attack from there in four days.

Chen Jue was overjoyed as he held the secret letter, his whole being radiant with happiness, as if he had taken in eighteen concubines overnight.

When her luck turns, she will deliver a fatal blow to Chen Liu when he is at his most complacent!

Of course, as a good older sister, she would still give her younger sister's body a complete and dignified state.

Could they really oust Chen Liu simply by combining internal and external forces? Xu Qiushui still felt it was highly unlikely. Although the Fifth Princess was not being groomed as the crown princess, she often served Emperor Chengtai and possessed some political acumen. Faced with a sudden rise to power, she could easily suppress it with her superior military strength.

At that time, they will face an unprecedented defeat.

The battle was becoming increasingly futile, and there was less and less hope in sight. Xu Qiushui sometimes even felt that she was just waiting for her death.

She instinctively searched for the figure of a certain young man.

Not inside the tent.

Where did they go?

Having experienced war firsthand, Zhang Ting knew better than anyone the vast disparity between the enemy and himself. Staying in the camp would only stifle his thinking, so it was better to go out for a walk.

Walking along the mountain path, she passed a rocky outcrop, which was her hiding place before. In just a few days, the enemy had turned to dust, but she strolled around as if nothing had happened. It's a pity that fate is so cruel.

Zhang Ting silently lit a candle for the other person, hoping that they would never meet her again in their next life.

Suddenly she heard a rustling sound and immediately stopped. The sound seemed to be coming from her feet.

Her face darkened. Could it be that the soldier she hid in the crevice was being devoured by wild beasts? How could she possibly forgive him? He had given his life to save her!

She slowly drew her knife, carefully approached, and swiftly swung it at the cave entrance, only to stop mid-air.

Several ragged Taoist priests were terrified by her attack, screaming and desperately trying to shrink back, wishing they could embed themselves in the wall.

Zhang Ting had a vague idea in her mind, and pointed her knife at them, saying, "Come out."

The five Taoist priests dared not go out, nor did they dare not go out. Submitting to her tyranny, they came out one after another, curled up like quails, and stood in a row.

Zhang Ting brandished a knife at a tall, thin woman. She looked repulsive and was the least likely to be a good person. "What did you do before? Why are you here? Tell me the truth."

The tall, thin man's legs trembled as he cried out, "We...we..." as he sought refuge.

Zhang Ting suddenly laughed, a sinister laugh, his gaping mouth looking like it could devour a child. "If you dare to deceive me, I will chop off one of your fingers for every lie you tell." His gaze lingered on her hand, a twisted light flashing in his eyes.

The tall, thin man was even more frightened and almost lost his balance. The words he was about to say changed his mind. "Our former benefactor died. We heard there was going to be a war, so... we wanted to escape to a safe place." He shrank his neck. "My lady, my lady, I see that you are shining with golden light. Your future fortune is sure to be excellent. Please have mercy and let us go!"

"Really?" Zhang Ting smiled knowingly, the sharp blade pressed against her neck, drawing a shallow line of blood. "Is that all?"

The tall, thin man's face was contorted, adding to his lewd appearance. He was on the verge of tears, saying, "Every word I have said is true, my lady. Please spare my life! We will offer you all our gold and silver treasures."

Zhang Ting did not answer, his gaze lingering on the precious sword as if deep in thought. He said aimlessly, "About ten days ago, a battle also broke out here, resulting in more than 50,000 casualties."

The five people were stunned, not understanding what was going on.

She suddenly retorted, "Do you know how many people this knife has killed? Do you think I'm joking?"

As soon as the words were spoken, it seemed as if a wronged spirit was wailing in the dark forest. The five people were so frightened that they took several steps back, filled with terror.

But the piercing blade remained pressed against his neck, unable to move an inch.

The five men were ashen-faced and filled with fear, as if they were standing on the edge of death.

Zhang Ting called the tall, thin woman over and stretched out her fingers so she could help trim the excess parts. She touched her chin and pondered, "Thumb, index finger, middle finger, or little finger?"

The tall, thin man was too scared to go any further; he was trembling like a leaf.

One of the others suddenly stood up and said, "If you want to chop, chop mine!" He was clearly so scared that his legs went weak and he couldn't walk.

These words were like a bucket of hot water poured into a silent sky. The most experienced Taoist priest said, "Alright, stop fooling around. This kind person doesn't want any parts of our bodies. We'll just answer truthfully." She spoke calmly, but her voice trembled.

Zhang Ting raised her chin, pointed the knife at her, and said, "Then you tell me."

The experienced Taoist priest took a deep breath and said, "My surname is Xi, my given name is Yuezhang, and my Taoist name is Miaoshan. However, everyone calls me Taoist Master Xi. We were all Taoist masters who protected the late emperor. After the late emperor passed away, we knew that we would be purged by the new emperor, so we took advantage of the chaos to escape and save our lives."

"It really was you." She clicked her tongue lightly. Countless women carried timber to the capital, dying from exhaustion, hunger, disease, and thirst, all to build a grand palace for Emperor Chengtai. "You instigated the late emperor to undertake such massive construction projects. Do you know how many people died at your hands?"

Master Xi said, “Good man, I have committed many evils and only wish to die. I only hope that you can spare the lives of my four younger sisters. They were originally just ordinary people, but they became lay disciples because of my instigation.”

Tall, short, thin, and strong men rushed to her side, crying their eyes out, "Big sister, it wasn't your fault!"

After exposing Master Xi, the four knelt before Zhang Ting and begged for mercy, saying, "We were originally law-abiding citizens of Zhangzhou Prefecture, making a living by farming. But then natural disasters struck, forcing us to leave our hometown and follow our elder sister to beg for food. Kind man, we just want to survive!"

"We really just wanted to survive, but we accidentally startled the imperial carriage on the road. The late emperor was furious and wanted to sentence us to death. It was only because my eldest sister intervened that we were spared! We have been unable to escape since then!"

"The palace was built by the late emperor, who said she wanted to show the Eternal Emperor her sincerity. The grand sacrificial ceremony was also her idea, to demonstrate her unparalleled majesty as an emperor. We...we also want to survive, to live a life worthy of being human!"

Zhang Ting remained silent for a long while before sheathing his dagger. "Get up, I won't kill you."

Master Xi staggered to her feet, and her four younger sisters ran over, crowding around her like fledglings around their mother.

"Thank you for sparing my life, kind sir!" After saying thank you, he grabbed his sister and ran away.

"stop--"

The five men closed their eyes. Were they destined to die today? Resigned, they turned around and asked, "Does Your Majesty have any further orders?"

Zhang Ting crossed her arms, showing no remorse for frightening anyone, and said, "You came out through that path."

Master Xi breathed a slight sigh of relief and gave her a detailed description of the location. It was a secret passage they had discovered by chance, which even the late emperor did not know about. It was located in a courtyard behind the Zichen Palace and led directly to the outskirts of the city.

Zhang Ting narrowed her eyes. Could it be...? In a great mood, she told the old and young women to take off their clothes.

The five men looked terrified and crossed their arms over their chests, fearing their innocence was in jeopardy.

Zhang Ting gave a nonchalant snort. "Why would I be interested in you?"

She said decisively, "Take it off, quickly."

The five men secretly wiped away their tears and undressed. They never expected that the purity they had guarded for decades would fall into the hands of a woman. They also never expected that this upright and noble woman, who was outwardly straight but inwardly crooked, was actually a womanizer!

But life is of paramount importance, so he had no choice but to submit with resentment.

Ugh, these people's behavior is simply unbearable to watch. Zhang Ting got goosebumps all over. Just as they were about to take off their inner clothes after removing their outer garments, she immediately stopped them and stepped forward with her knife.

The five men thought she had gone back on her word, and were filled with fear and anxiety. They suddenly closed their eyes and waited for death to come. But after a long time, their heads were obediently attached to their necks.

Huh?

Upon opening their eyes, they saw this man wielding a knife and tearing their clothes to shreds. What was this?

After finishing his task, Zhang Ting sheathed his sword, looked around, and said, "Remember, the five sorcerers who served the late emperor were just hacked to death by me and thrown into the mountains to be eaten by wild beasts. Their bodies were never found. You are not Taoist priests, but just civilians who fled due to the war."

She took a jade pendant from her waist, its floral and bird patterns quite charming, and handed it to Xi Yuezhang: "Go back to Zhangzhou Prefecture, the officials there will treat you well."

Xi Yuezhang accepted the gift with trembling hands, but no longer out of fear. "We are burdened with heavy sins and are ashamed to accept it." Tears streamed down his face as he fell to the ground.

"Do good deeds and don't worry about the future."

Xi Yuezhang held the jade pendant, repeating the same phrase over and over. When he looked up again, there was no one in front of him.

Zhang Ting returned to camp and gathered a few soldiers to investigate the secret passage. Just as Xi Yuezhang had said, it could reach the palace silently. Then, with their combined efforts from within and without, they could seize power at minimal cost.

She returned excitedly with good news, three days later, with only one day left before the assault.

However, as she walked through the camp, her colleagues looked at her strangely, with deep sympathy in their eyes.

Zhang Ting racked her brains but nothing seemed right. Had Chen Jue agreed to swap her with Chen Liu? Or had someone spoken ill of her to Chen Jue? Suddenly, a terrifying thought popped into her head—could it be that Zong Suyi had arrived with the child?!

Her expression changed drastically in an instant, and she rushed into the main tent without stopping.

Fortunately, neither her husband nor the children came.

But Zhang Ting, with a pale face, accepted the letter.

"Today is the day of the false emperor's enthronement ceremony. All civil and military officials in the capital must attend the ceremony, including Lord Luo, the Secretary of the Imperial Secretariat."

"Just as the false emperor was about to take the seal, Lord Luo bravely stepped forward and rebuked the false emperor for being unfilial, unkind, and unjust, and unworthy to ascend the throne! The false emperor was furious and ordered his men to arrest her, but Lord Luo, to uphold loyalty and righteousness, resolutely threw herself against a pillar."

"Although Lady Luo is no longer here, her words have touched many court officials. They have secretly sent letters saying they are willing to do their utmost for Your Highness... Our army is on the verge of victory!"

"...Lord Zhang, are you alright?"

The ringing in her ears exploded in her brain. Zhang Ting could distinguish each word her colleague said, but what did they mean when put together?

She looked down at the letter in her hand, which read:

Dear elder sister,

Seeing these words is like seeing the person in person.

By the time you open this letter, your sister will have already departed. I earnestly hope that you will not grieve or worry, for at this moment my heart is clear, filled only with gratitude.

Sister, do you still remember that spring when we first met under the eaves? I was disheveled, like a sparrow in the rain, and it was you who took my hand and gave me clothes. From that moment on, you taught me about human relationships and the ways of the world, showed me the world, and made me realize that even someone as insignificant and lowly as me deserves to be cherished and can receive the warmth of family.

If not for my sister, I wouldn't be who I am today. The gloomy and stubborn girl of the past has long been transformed under her care. What I do now is simply to use the courage you gave me to protect you. The court is in a state of panic, with no one daring to oppose the false emperor, yet I feel a surge of joy—finally, only I can help you.

May my actions pave the way for you. I wish my sister peace, happiness, and a carefree life from now on.

To be able to become sisters with you, Ziju, is enough for this lifetime.

Sister's masterpiece

In the early summer of the seventeenth year of Chengtai, at night

The hand holding the paper loosened its grip slightly, and the thin paper floated to the ground.

The air seemed to freeze, falling into a long, deathly silence.

Everyone looked at her, but Zhang Ting didn't say anything; her hand trembled slightly as she picked up the letter.

After a long while, she said hoarsely, "Your Highness, let's break camp and move on." Her figure was hidden in a dark corner, her heart feeling as if it had been torn open.

She... she didn't need anyone to protect her, and in the prime of her youth, she was sent to her death.