Chapter 26, the thirteenth time combining two parts!
Chapter 26
Everyone at Sui'an Hall stood up at the same time, and they all gasped in shock.
Ye Changming opened his mouth, but after a long while, he finally uttered a sound: "So everyone's come to my house to discuss important matters..."
Ye Pei and the other two were already on good terms and had worked together to save Yan Danqing from his crimes. However, their purpose in rescuing him was to stop the peace talks and save the Great Liang Dynasty, which had nothing to do with their personal relationship. The three of them exchanged glances, none of them expecting that Yan's army would come knocking on their door.
"Please come in quickly!" Ye Pei said hurriedly.
Ma Shan strode in, wearing armor and a sword at his waist, followed by several soldiers, all in full armor with black cloth hanging from their sleeves, clearly Yan Danqing's subordinates and soldiers of the Yan family.
Ma Shan's face, which usually looks fierce, becomes radiant with the aura of a warrior when he dons armor, exuding a righteous and indomitable spirit.
The group rushed in, their clothes still damp with blood, making no attempt to conceal it.
The Ye family fell silent instantly. The maids and servants had long since retreated far away. At this moment, only the Ye family members, Zheng Wenjue, and Bai Chengguang remained in Sui'an Hall.
"General Ma." Ye Pei cupped his hands in greeting. He always held these soldiers who had risked their lives for the Great Liang in high esteem. "May I ask what brings you here, General Ma?"
Ma Shan raised his hand in return, and first addressed the three men:
"Many thanks to the three gentlemen for their efforts on behalf of the general. Now that the general has been murdered, it was the work of the Yan bandits. I have been appointed General of the Cavalry and will soon go to Huai'an Canal to pacify the Yan family army and fight a desperate battle against the Northern Yan!"
In just one short sentence, he summed up his current predicament.
Ye Pei helped him up, shaking his head, "No need for formalities, this is what we should do."
Zheng Wenjue felt a pang of sadness, looked away, and said softly, "General Yan is innocent. It's a pity we couldn't protect the last bloodline of the Yan family of the Marquis of Zhongyong..."
Bai Chengguang said nothing, but sighed.
No one in the pro-war faction in the court could help but feel sorry for the Yan family. Generations of loyal and brave people, but now the only bloodline of General Yan has lost his life. If he hadn't been imprisoned, how could he have been killed by Chi Zhanlan Ce?
Only Ye Changming kept staring at Ma Shan with a strange look in his eyes, muttering to himself, "What's going on? Why does this General Ma look so familiar?"
It seemed like he'd seen him somewhere before, and upon seeing General Ma, his legs started to ache.
strangeness.
That's really strange.
A heavy feeling flashed across Ma Shan's eyes. How could he not be heartbroken to see the general die before his very eyes? But he had a responsibility he had to fulfill and could not simply ignore it.
He took a deep breath and looked at Ye Xiren one last time: "Miss Ye, the news of Chi Zhanlan Ce's death can't be kept secret for long. I have to go now. Take care, Miss Ye."
"Were all the Northern Yan envoys killed?" Ye Xiren asked.
Ma Shan nodded: "We've cleaned it up several times, and we've killed everything we could find. Even if there were any that escaped, they were just small fry and didn't matter."
"That's good. Go ahead with peace of mind. Leave Nandu to me. I will find a way to protect Chunzhou's remains."
"Thank you, Miss Ye. If you need anything, please write to Huai'an Canal and I will come to your aid immediately. In accordance with the imperial order, I have already taken away the Yan family army from Nandu. Please be careful, Miss."
After speaking, Ma Shan and the Yan family army behind him saluted.
They didn't know why Ye Xiren had the general's token, but since General Yan had given it to her, she was equivalent to "Little General" in the eyes of the Yan family army.
When Ma Shan raised his head, he and Ye Xiren exchanged a quick, unnoticed glance, everything understood without a word.
Ye Xiren nodded almost imperceptibly, indicating that he could rest assured.
Ma Shan let out a soft breath, his cloak fluttered, and he led the group who had finished their greetings away. Soon, the sound of horses' hooves rang out outside, and Yan's army rushed to the Huai'an Canal.
Ye Xiren looked up and saw the afterglow of the setting sun gradually spreading across the courtyard. A fiery red sun, like blood, hung in the sky, with layers of rosy clouds piled up in front of it like steps, quickly obscuring the sun and turning the sky a fiery red.
A wild goose lost its flock, circling and howling mournfully in the sky, while the green leaves on the trees swayed.
The wind is picking up.
Ye Xiren frowned, then quickly relaxed her brow.
She turned around and suddenly found several pairs of eyes staring intently at her from behind, completely silent.
Ye Changming was incredulous. Liao and Zhao exchanged a glance, their faces full of doubt. Ye Pei, Zheng Wenjue, and Bai Chengguang held their breath, staring at her without looking away.
Three old faces and one young face, their eyes wide open, blocked her view, and there was complete silence.
Finally, Ye Changming spoke first: "I remember now! This General Ma is the 'refugee' who broke my hand! Ye, Xi, Ren, what exactly happened?!"
Ye Xiren: "..."
Oh dear, I've been caught out.
-
Prime Minister's Residence
"What time is it? You still have the mood to look at exam papers?" Zhang Yuanmou was restless, pacing back and forth in the small study. Seeing Jiang You still flipping through the files, he couldn't help but speak.
The study in the Prime Minister's residence was not small, but a curtain divided it into two. One side was full of bookshelves, piled with all kinds of books and some political matters to be dealt with, making this half of the room even smaller and extremely cramped.
Jiang You nodded without looking up, his face full of appreciation:
"Indeed, this candidate is very talented."
He placed this exam paper on the left side, while there was a thick stack on the right and only a few on the left, creating a stark contrast.
The imperial examinations were held every three days. After the first round of examinations, all the papers were collected and graded. The candidates were still waiting for the second round to begin. The important events in the court did not affect the candidates in the examination hall.
Zhang Yuanmou frowned, picked up the exam paper and scanned it. His frown deepened, and his already thin and mean face became even more gloomy and unsightly.
He muttered, "There's nothing special about this. The poems are just average, and the policy essays are plain and unremarkable..."
This year's exam papers were personally set by Prime Minister Jiang, and they were quite different from previous years. The content on poetry and the Four Books and Five Classics was too little, which really displeased many great scholars. However, Prime Minister Jiang now wields immense power in the court and has the support of the emperor, so no one can stop him from going his own way.
He didn't understand what was so interesting about these things, and whether they were more important than important business.
“You don’t understand.” Jiang You tossed the new exam paper to his right. “If you’re so free, go discuss the aftermath of the Chizhan Lance with the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of War…”
Just then, the doors and windows moved, and someone slipped in quickly.
The visitor lowered his voice: "Prime Minister Jiang, Ma Shan has entered the Ye residence. Bai Chengguang, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, and Zheng Wenjue, the Prefect of Nanjing, are both at the Ye residence."
Jiang You paused, his pupils contracted, and he murmured, "The Ye family?"
"It's actually Ye Pei?!" Zhang Yuanmou raised his voice, gritting his teeth. "I underestimated this Ye guy. He's the mastermind behind it all. Well, it's not surprising that these people who are clamoring for a fight to the death are colluding with Yan Danqing."
I never expected that they would actually be able to kill the Crown Prince of Northern Yan!
Jiang You frowned, his grip on the exam paper tightening. He still felt something was wrong. Ye Pei was going against them, but he shouldn't have this ability.
However... thinking about the evidence Ye Pei suddenly presented at today's court meeting, it was something he had never expected.
"It seems we underestimated him. Ye Pei is a man who can manipulate us at will, and he can also use Yan Danqing's men to kill Chi Zhan Lan Ce... His scheming is truly unfathomable." Jiang You's eyes were deep as he looked out at the sky, which was gradually darkening.
The study fell silent instantly.
-
Ye Changming grabbed Ye Xiren and shook her violently, gritting his teeth: "My dear sister, your brother was hit on the way to the imperial examination that day and injured his hand and foot. Don't you have to give me an explanation?"
Ma Shan had known Ye Xiren for a long time. Although he didn't know why, it was clear that Ma Shan and the others obeyed her orders!
Ma Shan, a complete stranger, beat him up, preventing him from taking the imperial examination. Then, recalling his sister who "timely" appeared on the first day of the third lunar month, he forcibly ordered his sister to carry him back...
If Ye Xiren hadn't suddenly appeared, he would have stubbornly gone to the examination hall. But because of her appearance, he was forced to return and missed the imperial examination!
Ye Xiren: "..."
She paused for a moment, then raised her hand. "It was me who did it, but I swear I did it for you and for the good of the whole family. If you had entered the exam hall that day, our family would have been doomed."
Ye Changming: "???"
Ye Changming's brow twitched, his eyes widened, his blood rushed to his head, he took a deep breath, and opened his mouth to roar.
Ye Pei shoved the person aside impatiently:
"That's enough. It's not a big deal for you. Stop bothering me. We need to get down to business. I have something important to ask your sister. Move aside."
After speaking, he looked at Ye Xiren again, lowered his voice, and tentatively asked, "What is your relationship with Ma Shan... no, what is your relationship with General Yan?"
"Who is Chunzhou?" Bai Chengguang asked cautiously.
Ye Xiren shook her head: "I have no relation to General Yan."
Then she answered:
"Spring Day" was the courtesy name given to General Yan by his parents.
Everyone: "..."
Yan Danqing was born and raised on the frontier. If he hadn't suddenly appeared last year, no one in the Liang Dynasty would have known about him. They only knew that he was the second son of the previous Marquis of Zhongyong and the younger brother of the previous Marquis of Zhongyong. Even now, they still know very little about Yan Danqing; everything is just hearsay.
Seeing their suspicious expressions, Ye Xiren felt as if the three of them were trying to see right through her, especially Zheng Wenjue and Bai Chengguang, who were usually ruthless interrogators. When they looked her up and down, she always felt...
It seems they are about to be tortured.
Ye Xiren blinked innocently, turned and walked towards Ye Changming, pulling him away, "Brother, let's talk about breaking your hand."
Ye Changming: "?"
"Hey? Bro, why did you take your hand off? Doesn't it hurt?"
"??"
"Brother, is your foot feeling better? Did you apply any medicine today? Do you need me to help you?"
"???"
After a long pause, Ye Changming roared, "Ye, Xi, Ren!"
The remaining people in the room looked at each other, bewildered. Zheng Wenjue recalled the scene of Ye Xiren and Lu Qian confronting each other when he came to the Ye family yesterday. He looked at Ye Pei meaningfully:
"Brother Ye, your daughter... is quite remarkable."
Bai Chengguang narrowed his eyes, stroked his beard, and looked at Ye Pei as well: "Did you arrange for her to do something? Is Chi Zhanlan Ce's death related to you? Lord Ye, you've been hiding it quite well."
Ye Pei was exhausted.
Ye Pei didn't want to talk.
He now knows his daughter is no ordinary person, but the problem is, he knows nothing about her!
Busy with matters outside, Ye Pei saw Zheng Wenjue and Bai Chengguang off. He didn't return until it was completely dark. Zhao Shi had already gone back to the backyard, and Liao Shi was waiting for him.
"Where's Xixi?" Ye Pei asked hurriedly.
He still needs to ask around and find out what exactly happened. How did Xixi get involved, and it seems she's even deeply involved, while he, as her father, knows nothing about it?
"Ye Xiren!" Ye Changming's voice came from afar, accompanied by footsteps. "Don't try to fool me with your nonsense about rebirth or encountering immortals and ghosts. Even if someone really set me up in the exam hall, it would be very dangerous to go in. Why don't you explain it to me clearly?"
Ye Xiren covered her ears and quickened her pace to continue her escape.
Ye Changming continued to chase after her, limping. Ever since he learned the "truth," he had been nagging Ye Xiren, making her keep running away, and Ye Changming kept chasing after her.
"I told you, but you wouldn't listen!" Ye Xiren hid behind Liao Shi.
"How do you know I won't listen if you haven't even tried?" Ye Changming gritted his teeth. "You unfilial sister, how dare you lay a hand on your brother! You stop right there, I'm going to give you a good beating today!"
Ye Xiren was speechless: "How do you know I didn't try?"
She'd tried it before, but he wouldn't listen. He insisted on going in no matter what. Her brother was as stubborn as a mule; no one could stop him.
Ye Changming chased after Ye Xiren and beat her up, so she could only circle around Ye Pei and Liao Changying to avoid her brother's clutches.
Ye Pei rubbed his temples, feeling helpless:
The wind picked up outside, and the sound of heavy footsteps grew louder as they approached. The people inside fell silent instantly and instinctively looked up to see the front door kicked open. Members of the Imperial City Guard stormed in, and two groups of men surrounded the Ye family's gate, pointing gleaming knives at them with menacing intent.
"The Imperial City Guard?" Ye Pei was stunned, looking puzzled. "What are you doing?"
Ye Xiren stood behind Ye Pei, still pulling on his clothes to avoid Ye Changming.
She slowly released her grip, her brows furrowing slightly. She had dealt with the Imperial City Guards many times before, but these were people she had never met, yet they did belong to the Imperial City Guards.
The long sword was pointed at the Ye family; the visitors clearly had ill intentions.
Ye Pei strode into the courtyard with a flick of his sleeve, followed by Liao Changying and the others, who warily watched the people surrounding them.
No one answered.
"Isn't Lu Qian dead? Whose orders are you taking? And what right do you have to barge into my Ye residence?" Ye Changming, who was about to beat Ye Xiren, stepped forward, blocking his sister and questioning her sharply.
He reached back and patted Ye Xiren's hand to reassure her not to be afraid, as her brother would protect her.
"It's me. Am I qualified?" a calm voice replied.
Outside the door, two more people walked in slowly. The one who spoke was old and dignified, with a pair of bright eyes. Just by stepping in, he exuded an oppressive aura no less than that of a palace guard wielding a sword.
Beside him was another person who looked slightly younger, but a few years older than Ye Pei. He wore a purple official robe, and his thin face had a pair of sharp, mean-spirited eyes.
"Prime Minister Jiang..." Ye Pei began slowly, "Vice Minister Zhang."
The visitors were none other than Jiang You and Zhang Yuanmou!
"May I ask what brings you two gentlemen here so late at night?" Ye Pei tensed, his gaze sweeping over the raised swords of the Imperial City Guards on either side, and sneered, "And what... does this mean?"
Zhang Yuanmou shouted, "Ye Pei, you colluded with the Yan family army to kill Chi Zhanlan Ce and disrupt the peace between the two countries. What is your crime?"
Ye Pei: "?"
After a brief moment of stunned silence, he flung his sleeves, furious. "If you want to find fault, you can always find a reason! Besides, Chi Zhanlan Ce is a wolf in sheep's clothing. He bought gunpowder to assassinate General Yan Xiao. He didn't come here to negotiate in the first place! You supported these people and almost caused a disaster, making them sinners of my Great Liang. And you still have the nerve to criticize me?"
"You dare to argue even when you're about to die?" Zhang Yuanmou's lips curled into a sinister smile, his sharp eyes sweeping over the family members in the room. "Ye Pei, if you don't want to live, fine, but do you want to take your whole family with you to die?"
“Lord Ye, don’t play dumb. We’ve come here in person to give you a chance to save your family,” Zhang Yuanmou threatened. “If you confess honestly, your children may still have a chance to live.”
These people!
Ye Pei flicked his sleeve and said, word by word, "Do you think I'm easy to fool?"
Even if he had never touched Chi Zhan Lan Ce, and even if it was really related to him, once he confessed, it would be a serious crime of disrupting the peace talks, and it would not be an exaggeration to execute his entire family. How could he possibly spare his family members?
Ye Pei sneered again: "Chi Zhan Lan Ce died because he killed General Yan, and you actually want to find a 'murderer' for him? Bah, traitors!"
His chest heaved violently, clearly indicating that he was extremely angry.
“Lord Ye.” Jiang You stepped forward and stood in the courtyard, confronting him. “Whether it was the Northern Yan who used gunpowder to kill Yan Danqing first, or the Yan family army who surrounded and killed Chizhan Lance first, Lord Ye, I think you know better than I do.”
Ye Xiren lowered her eyes.
What a smart person!
The explanation she and Ma Shan came up with was that Chizhan Lance made the first move. After all, no one could explain why Chizhan Lance was outside the imperial prison, and only the people of Northern Yan knew that Lu Qian was one of their men... In this way, it was truly clever of Jiang You to question the order of Chizhan Lance and Yan Danqing's deaths.
"What do I know?" Ye Pei was shocked, his brows furrowing. "Jiang You, don't frame me."
Zhang Yuanmou snorted coldly, a half-smile playing on his lips:
"Ye Pei, we have investigated thoroughly. The Ye family was the one who came before Ma Shan left! Today in court, you were the one who presented the evidence of the post station and gunpowder. You have long been secretly colluding with the Yan family army."
"There's no point in pretending anymore. Don't try to fool us like we're fools. We're all going to die before tonight anyway, so why bother making excuses?"
Ye Pei was puzzled by what he had just heard, but before he could think about it, he heard the last sentence.
His pupils contracted in disbelief:
"You want to kill me? Jiang You, how dare you?! Aren't you afraid the Emperor will hold you accountable?"
Even if he did commit a crime, he should have been imprisoned and interrogated first. How dare they bring people to his door to kill him?
Is there no law anymore?!
Zhang Yuanmou clapped his hands and laughed, "On the night of the third day of the third month, the entire Ye family was slaughtered. It was a deliberate act of revenge by the Northern Yan people. After all, you, Ye Pei, colluded with the Yan family army to kill Chi Zhan Lan Ce and sabotage the peace talks. It's already a miracle that His Majesty didn't punish you. Do you think he would stand up for you?"
Ye Pei suddenly looked at the Imperial City Guards and realized that the knives they were holding were actually weapons of the Northern Yan people!
Jiang and You had planned this all along!
He instinctively shielded Ye Xiren and Liao Shi behind him, pursed his lips, and glanced at the Imperial Guards who were blocking their way. The swords gleamed coldly in the moonlight, the wind made the lanterns in the courtyard sway, the light and shadow on the ground distorted, and the leaves rustled.
His mind raced as he tried to think of a way to save his family.
Ye Changming gripped his cane tightly and stood at the front, gritting his teeth: "Lawless! Jiang You, aren't you afraid of being discovered?!"
Jiang You didn't speak, he just raised his hand.
The Ye family's gate was closed from the inside, so that no one would know what was happening inside, and if they dared to come, they would be wiped clean.
He demonstrated through his actions that he was not afraid.
Behind Ye Pei, Ye Xiren suddenly spoke up: "So, the reason why Lu Qian framed our entire family and had them executed was indeed because of you, Prime Minister Jiang You."
Zhang Yuanmou, a privy councilor, was an accomplice. Another privy councilor, Liu Duoxi, was a member of the pro-peace faction. Even if he did not participate, he was aware of the situation. With these people involved, what crime could they not be sentenced to death?
The execution of the entire family is always a serious crime, no wonder their family has been sentenced to such a heinous crime time and time again... It's not that they committed the crime of execution, but that these people want to wipe them out completely!
Ye Pei tugged at Ye Xiren and winked at her.
He still wanted to save his children's lives, and it was not the right time for him to take the lead; he should leave it to them.
Jiang You's gaze shifted from Ye Pei to her face, glanced at her briefly, and then looked away, not taking it to heart. He said indifferently, "Anyone who obstructs peace talks deserves to die."
Ye Pei was the most vocal among the pro-war faction, running around for Yan Danqing and trying every possible way to save him.
If the March 3rd peace talks are to proceed smoothly, he should be killed. Killing one is not enough. There is never a shortage of officials in the court who are willing to risk their lives to be remembered in history. Only by bringing disaster upon their families can the other pro-war faction be silenced to prevent any accidents.
Unfortunately, an accident still occurred.
"Ye Pei, you're really something. I failed to kill you twice, allowing you to survive to this day and obstruct the peace talks." A murderous glint flashed in Zhang Yuanmou's eyes. The wind whistled, the torches flickered, and the surrounding atmosphere became increasingly eerie.
Upon hearing this, Ye Xiren looked at him and asked:
"Did you place that Guanyin statue in the Ye family?"
Clearly, this person was more likely to speak up and reveal the truth to her than the silent Jiang You.
Zhang Yuanmou snorted coldly, his slanted eyes turning icy. "That's a question for your Ye family. The military map was stolen and ended up in your Ye family's mansion. I didn't understand how you managed to steal it... Now I realize it was Yan Danqing's men. Your Ye family and the rebels were already acquainted. Stealing a military map, what else could you be but rebels?"
Not them?
Ye Xiren frowned.
She already knew from Ye Pei and Ye Changming that their family did not know Yan Danqing before. Even if Ye Pei did not tell her, what about General Yan? He clearly said that he did not know Minister Ye, but had only heard of him. Their two families had absolutely no relationship.
Ye Xiren couldn't understand it.
"No matter how you knew Yan Danqing or how you cooperated, Yan Danqing is dead, and you cannot live either." Jiang You raised his hand, and the Imperial City Guards rushed forward.
Since Ye Pei refuses to explain himself, then so be it. Achieving the goal is the most important thing; no matter how many tricks a dead man has, they are useless.
Ye Changming shouted: "Fat Jin, Skinny Yin!"
The two flew out at the same time, and Jiang Sui also led his guards to block the attack. The sound of swords and blades was extremely clear in the dark night, making people feel cold.
wrong!
Ye Xiren stood rooted to the spot, her brows furrowed, her eyes fixed on Jiang You, speaking each word with deliberation:
"No, you wanted to kill our family to eliminate the pro-war faction so as not to interfere with the peace talks, but now that Chi Zhanlan Ce is dead, war is inevitable. Why do you still want to attack our family?"
Jiang You finally looked at Ye Xiren, his sharp eyes filled with surprise as he saw her.
He smiled, a hint of appreciation in his eyes:
"Miss Ye is intelligent."
The two sides were still fighting, and the few guards from the Ye family were no match for the Imperial City Guard. They were being driven back in defeat, perhaps because the guards wanted to make sure they died knowing why, or perhaps because they admired Ye Xiren's keen insight...
Jiang You lowered his eyes and answered:
“I originally thought that Chizhan Lance was dead and that the peace talks had failed, but just half an hour ago, a secret message was delivered by carrier pigeon from a spy. Northern Yan has established a new crown prince. The current crown prince of Northern Yan is the second prince, Chizhan Chengye.”
Ye Xiren was taken aback at first, not understanding.
Ye Pei trembled, opened his mouth in disbelief: "You...you actually want to negotiate?!"
Upon hearing this, Ye Xiren's pupils constricted; there was nothing she didn't understand.
The Northern Yan changed its crown prince, and the second prince became the crown prince. This made peace talks possible again. Jiang You and his group wanted to negotiate, so they wanted to kill one of the leaders of the pro-war faction to prevent further trouble.
Yan Danqing is dead; now it's the Ye family's turn.
In particular, Jiang You suspected that they had joined forces with Yan Family Army to kill Chi Zhan Lan Ce. With such sinister methods, Jiang You could not let it go unpunished. He had to eliminate them completely to prevent any further trouble.
The attacks grew increasingly fierce, and the Ye family was on the verge of collapse.
Fat Gold and Skinny Silver fought desperately to hold them off. Ye Pei looked at Jiang Sui, who nodded and, protecting Ye Xiren and Ye Changming, prepared to leave, lowering his voice: "Let's leave quickly through the back door!"
Ye Changming glanced back at Ye Pei, gritted his teeth, pushed Ye Xiren toward Jiang Sui, drew his sword, rushed forward, and shouted, "My sister knows nothing! She's just a little girl! Jiang You, let her go, and my Ye family will surrender!"
"None of you will escape." Zhang Yuanmou sneered, weighing his long sword in his hand before easily swatting away Ye Changming. His martial arts skills were not bad.
Ye Changming swayed and staggered back several steps before barely managing to stand. His feet ached. He braced himself against his sword and stood in front of Ye Xiren, trying to buy her time to escape.
Jiang Sui gritted his teeth, grabbed Ye Xiren, and left.
"You attacked us in order to continue pushing your so-called peace talks. By killing the pro-war faction, no one will oppose you... Lord Chiang, I have learned my lesson."
A long sword was raised in front of her, and Liao Changying's eyes widened in fury: "Xixi!"
Ye Xiren looked at the knife and shouted loudly:
"Yan Shuang, make your move!"
"call out!"
A dense barrage of arrows shot out from behind him, and a row of men in black appeared on the rooftop. Behind Jiang You, on the eaves of the gate, another group of men in black silently appeared and landed.
A figure flashed across the swaying tree in the courtyard. A bright red line ran down the forehead of the assassin in front of Ye Xiren. He fell straight to the ground, knife in hand and eyes wide open. The figure landed beside Ye Xiren.
Yan Shuang.
The female swordswoman who killed Chi Zhanlan Ce in broad daylight.
Jiang You glanced at the rooftop, then at the female swordsman, ignoring the threat behind him. His gaze fixed on Ye Xiren's face, his shock undisguised, and he suddenly realized:
"It was you! Chi Zhanlan Ce wanted to kill you, and you, all of you, killed him!"
Yan Jiajun's men never left!
Only a few people from Mashan left; it was just for show.
Yes.
Ma Shan could have secretly sent a message, but his arrival at the Ye family before leaving the city was clearly meant to be seen by those with ulterior motives, and they, like fish, took the bait.
No wonder he had been keeping a close eye on Ye Pei and had never noticed anything unusual, yet Chi Zhanlan Ce died so suddenly.
No one expected that the person involved was not Ye Pei, but her daughter, a young lady who was not guarded by anyone, the seemingly weak and frail Second Miss Ye.
"General Yan taught me not to underestimate you. There are many clever people in the court, but sometimes, one shouldn't be too clever." Ye Xiren lowered her eyes.
She thought of Yan Danqing's reaction in the dungeon when he was certain there was an account book. There were always many clever people in the court who kept a close eye on everything. She had only sent Ma Shan over to try, and he had actually caught a big fish.
She used the fishing method devised by General Yan here.
Jiang You is the mastermind behind the execution of their entire family, and this man is willing to do anything for peace talks.
"What do you mean?" Zhang Yuanmou pursed his lips, fear flashing in his eyes. "Do you dare to lay a hand on us?!"
One of them was the prime minister, and the other was the vice minister of state affairs. They were powerful figures in the court, capable of causing a great upheaval with a mere stomp of their feet. They were the emperor's confidants. How dare she?!
Zhang Yuanmou instinctively stepped back, but the sight of the black-clad men behind him wielding their cold blades was even more terrifying. These men from the Imperial City Guard... were no match for the Yan family army.
The situation reversed instantly. He stared intently at Ye Xiren, the warning in his eyes unmistakable.
In the past, Ye Xiren would have been very scared.
No, she was afraid now. With Yan Danqing's private order clutched in her sleeve, Ye Xiren suppressed her fear and unease, raised her head, and her dark eyes reflected the firelight, rising with boundless courage.
She was involved, and she had more control than others. God had chosen her, so she couldn't be afraid.
"The Yan family army has already left the city and rushed to Huai'an Canal on imperial orders. Everyone knows that my Ye family civil officials are powerless. The bodies of Prime Minister Jiang and Councilor Zhang were found at the embassy. That was done by the Northern Yan people. What does it have to do with anyone else?"
Ye Xiren looked at Jiang You and said, word by word:
"Thank you for teaching me, Minister Jiang."
The leader of the pro-peace faction was killed, and it was the Northern Yan people who did it. Who in Great Liang would still dare to harbor any illusions or fantasies about peace talks?
Jiang You's hand clenched instantly, and he stared intently at her.
Ye Xiren closed her eyes. "Yan Shuang, kill her. Leave no survivors."
-----------------------
Author's note: I updated too late today, so I'm posting a long chapter. Thank you all for your support, I love you all!
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