After the start of summer, the nights became much noisier. The chirping of unknown insects always rustled in the banyan tree outside the window. Although it was not as noisy as the cicadas in July, it always disturbed Jin Changge's sleep when the night was deep and quiet.
It was already 7 PM, and Jin Changge was still alone, leaning against the railing on the second floor, just like always.
Her cut black hair was casually tied up with a white ribbon. She hugged her increasingly thin waist with both hands, leaned against the railing, and looked blankly at the waning moon with half her face slightly raised towards the night sky.
Aside from the chirping of insects, it was indeed a quiet night, but the hearts of those who were in this quiet night were far from peaceful.
She has been awakened by nightmares many times at night, not by the chirping of insects, but by a series of fragmented and vivid dreams. The people and events in her dreams are always so real that she even sheds tears when she wakes up.
The previous assassination attempt was thrilling enough, but the determination she had shown did not cause her any hesitation. All she had to do was risk her life to draw her sword and seek revenge. But when all that was done, loneliness and desolation quietly descended upon her.
A gentle breeze carrying the scent of grass and trees drifted through the corridor, causing the light, thin white robes to sway. Jin Changge picked up a strand of hair that had fallen across her forehead and tucked it behind her ear, but her slender arms did not hang down. She reached into her bosom and held the round, smooth jade pendant hanging around her neck in her palm.
The warm jade pendant pressed against her slightly cool palm, and Jin Changge's calm eyes finally rippled. So she raised her face and looked at the hazy moon.
A bright moonlit night, fireworks lighting up the sky, a large ship from a foreign land, a brutal battle to the death, and that unforgettable soft call:
"I am your brother."
A faltering gait, a broad back, and those helpless words:
"Our ship is sinking. Do you think we can still transfer to another ship at this point?"
'When the ship sinks, I will go down with it.'
"call--"
Jin Changge suddenly exhaled a long breath, and the jade pendant in her palm was also gripped tightly. She lay weakly on the railing, biting her lip, as if all her strength had been drained away.
Even though she tried hard not to think about it, the only person she cared about was increasingly imprinted in her heart, and his fate was something Jin Changge had been trying to avoid these past few days.
However, as His Majesty returned to Nangang this evening, Jin Changge could no longer escape, but she was unwilling to face it.
The girl was almost torn to shreds by her complicated and conflicted emotions. The only person she cared about was her closest relative, but aside from his identity as her "brother," he was also a sinner who was detestable and reviled.
The girl always told herself what true righteousness was, and she always put it into practice. That's why she was able to face death without fear when she went to assassinate those foreigners. So, in the face of this righteousness, her brother, who treated her so well, should also be the one to be eliminated.
However, even though he had warned himself countless times, the voice hidden in his heart still said—Second brother, I hope you can escape, escape far away, hide among the common people, do whatever you want, just survive.
The girl knew this was an unrealistic and selfish idea, and it went against the concept of "righteousness," but she couldn't abandon it. If heaven could grant her one wish, she thought she would make that request without hesitation.
But that's ultimately impossible; perhaps ignoring it is the best course of action.
Jin Changge stared blankly at the night sky, lost in her complicated emotions, almost forgetting the passage of time. She didn't even notice Qin Ze entering the courtyard and standing downstairs watching her.
Qin Ze did not bring any attendants in. Seeing Jin Changge staring blankly at the night sky, he did not say a word and went upstairs.
It wasn't until he stepped into the wooden corridor that he realized that in just a few days, the woman in front of him had become even thinner. Without having to guess, Qin Ze knew what she was thinking.
So he reached out and held onto the railing, looked up at the night sky, and calmly said:
"Nanze's matter is over."
The sudden male voice brought Jin Changge back to her senses from her daze. When she turned her head to look at the source of the voice, she was surprised to find that Qin Ze had appeared beside her at some point.
"You...when did you arrive?" The girl hurriedly tucked the jade pendant into her bosom.
Qin Ze naturally noticed this action and said in a low voice, "Wipe away your tears."
In fact, he was most afraid of women crying, as it was extremely difficult to deal with.
The girl quickly wiped her eyes, but said, "There's nothing there at all."
“I saw it.”
"That's not it."
"You can't just drool up there."
"......."
"Um... when did you get here?" The girl could only change the subject.
"It's been a while."
"and you....."
"Don't you have anything you want to ask me?" Qin Ze turned his face and tilted his head to look at her.
The girl lowered her head, silently looked at her toes, and said in a voice barely above a whisper, "No."
Despite her efforts to restrain herself, tears welled up in her eyes again. The girl dared not raise her face, nor dared to close her eyes to let the tears fall, so she could only turn her back to Qin Ze and look at the banyan tree.
But footsteps gradually came from behind her, growing closer and closer, until finally the railing seemed to move slightly, and the girl knew that he had leaned against it.
Qin Ze leaned against the railing, tilted his head back, and said, "Nanze fought all night and captured it."
Jin Changge had already learned of this by evening. Upon hearing the news, she was deeply shocked. After all, she knew Nanze very well, and the city's fortification was well-known. In her initial plan, she thought that Qin Ze might need a long time to attack Nanze.
It could take anywhere from a month to several months, but the actual outcome was far beyond her expectations. From setting off from Nangang to attacking Nanze, the entire process took less than ten days.
Such swiftness in warfare is unprecedented. This rebel army, or rather, this royal army, possesses overwhelming and unstoppable power, a world apart from the old dynasty.
The rapid advance into Nanze is undoubtedly a good thing, but it also means...
"Did they... escape, or...?" the girl hesitated before speaking.
Qin Ze turned to look at her retreating figure, and after a moment of silence, said:
“Some escaped, some died.” As he finished speaking, he saw the girl’s body seem to tremble slightly.
Then he continued:
"They didn't expect us to be able to break through Nanze in one night, so not many people escaped."
"Before the siege, I sent an inside agent to distribute proclamations, urging the people of Nanze to stay away as much as possible. This had some effect; at least during the siege, no civilians were seen participating in the fighting."
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