Chapter 35 The Sixteenth Imperial Edict!
Chapter 35
A magnificent carriage with crimson wheels, guarded by a group of soldiers, was parked on the road. The Yan family army and the Northern Yan guards were engaged in a fierce battle on the road, with arrows raining down on each other.
Yan Danqing spurred his horse, crouching low on the black steed, and galloped forward, charging into the guard with unstoppable momentum.
Chi Zhanlan Ce stared intently at him, uttering each word clearly:
"Yan Danqing".
This person actually came out!
The thought had barely formed in his mind when, in the next instant, a sense of crisis even more intense than when he had seen Yan Danqing suddenly struck him. His scalp tingled instantly, and before he could react, a dagger flashed and slashed towards his neck.
"Bang!"
The maid behind him lunged forward, and Chi Zhanlan Ce's neck grazed the dagger, blood gushing out as he crashed to the ground, looking utterly disheveled.
Everything happened too fast. The maid only had time to tackle her master and take Chi Zhanlan's place with her body. The dagger slashed across her neck, and she died instantly when the sharp blade struck her neck.
"Let's go." Yan Danqing swept past, picked up Ye Xiren with one arm, and with the other hand drew his red-tasseled spear to block the whip that Mole was about to strike Ye Xiren.
Chi Zhanlan Ce was seriously injured and his life was uncertain. The attacks from the Northern Yan guards around him became increasingly fierce. They rushed forward as if their lives depended on it, determined to take the "assassin's" life. The others rushed towards Chi Zhanlan Ce. Another maid took out a medicine bottle from her bosom, fed him pills, and hurriedly treated his wounds.
Ye Xiren gripped the dagger and turned her head to look. The whip had struck the spot where she had just been standing. General Yan had come to her rescue just in time.
Is he dead?!
Bloodstains were clearly visible on the white clothes, the fox fur was covered in dust, blood was flowing continuously from the neck, the face was as pale as paper, and the person had lost blood instantly and was lying on the ground unable to move.
The maid removed his hand from his neck, his chest heaving, his weak eyes fixed on her, as if trying to etch her face into his mind and remember the person who killed him.
At least, he's not dead yet.
Ye Xiren: "..."
Ye Xiren: "???"
Outside the city, in the woods.
Yan Danqing was quite helpless and asked her, "Do you want to come again?"
Ye Xiren remained silent for a moment, then puffed out her cheeks in anger:
"Forget it, this scoundrel is hard to kill!"
She proved through three cycles that with her own abilities, no one could possibly take on Chi Zhan Lan Ce one-on-one, and even a sneak attack would be difficult; this person was just too hard to kill.
Ye Xiren shook her head, exhaled, and her eyes held a complex expression:
"My dad said we should cherish every cycle and not always rely on restarting. You don't have to go along with me like this." I'm still going to risk your life to go along with it.
Yan Danqing paused for a moment before saying, "I'm fine. I've watched you die many times in the dungeon."
At that time, he was also in a cycle of concealing himself.
Watching her reopen the gates time and time again, trying her best to save him, with no idea how much life she had left, Ye Xiren sat in front of him, repeatedly recounting the "previous events." He loved listening to her lively chatter; even the quiet, dark dungeon felt warm. It was a vivid scene he could never forget.
But along with this vibrant energy came a series of deaths that occurred during her efforts to reopen the business…
She could be angry. Even though his death could be restarted, she was the one who suffered everything in the first twelve cycles. The cycle was supposed to be a matter between the two of them.
Ye Xiren paused.
Then, she placed her hands on Yan Danqing's shoulders and met his gaze. "Reopening the dungeon as many times as I want is my own choice. I already know why you kept the cycle a secret from me."
"In the first dozen or so cycles, we didn't know that your death could be restarted, so why would we blame you?"
Ye Xiren's face was still covered in dust, a strand of hair sticking up at her temple, a leaf landing on it, but she didn't notice. Her expression remained serious and focused, her dark eyes reflecting Yan Danqing's face as she spoke, word by word:
"Spring day, it's not about how many times we die to be fair. We're all in the same cycle. Your death is the same as my death. There's no need for fairness."
Yan Danqing looked into her eyes, and after a long while, slowly nodded.
For some reason, I feel increasingly indebted and heartbroken towards Ye Xiren, and each cycle seems to intensify the feeling...
"Alright, two more cycles to verify our guesses. We can't waste any more rebirths." Ye Xiren withdrew her hand and looked at the lone moon that was moving little by little. "If I die, you will die immediately. But if I can live through this day and start over after you die, then we need to verify whether we can both survive and successfully get through the third day of the third lunar month and officially enter the fourth day of the third lunar month!"
"As for Chizhan Lance..."
Ye Xiren had a headache.
How can I kill him?
Yan Danqing had some ideas. He hadn't expected Ye Xiren to kill Chi Zhanlan Ce in the first place, and said at this moment:
"He is currently in the Southern Capital of Daliang. As long as Daliang and Northern Yan cease peace talks, and the court sees the situation clearly and acts decisively, with him in hand, fewer soldiers will die on the battlefield."
Ye Xiren's eyes lit up, and she began to analyze the current situation:
“The emperor moved you, so the gunpowder must have been found by my father and Uncle Bai. In addition, there are the testimonies of those merchants, and the evidence is conclusive. On the fourth day of the third month, the evidence of the military grain case was sent back, along with the witnesses and physical evidence from the post station... Even if we can’t find your original petition, it’s enough to prove your innocence!”
In this way, the crisis of "rebellion against the Party" can be completely resolved.
Yan Danqing nodded and murmured, "I hope so."
After thinking for a moment, he added:
“Chi Zhanlan Ce is relentless in achieving his goals and is extremely cunning. Once the peace talks have completely collapsed, we should find an opportunity to kill him and prevent him from living…”
Ye Xiren wholeheartedly agreed. Her few interactions with Chi Zhan Lan Ce were enough for her to understand what a ruthless person he was, and no one knew what other variables he might bring if he lived.
Fortunately, the evidence is now complete, and Chi Zhanlan's underhanded methods have been largely exposed. Judging from His Majesty's attitude today, he is still willing to believe Yan Danqing. As long as he is released, the pro-war faction will no longer be on the defensive...
The lonely moon moved slowly, the night breeze was gentle, the leaves swayed slightly, and the moonlight shone through the swaying gaps, dappling the ground. Everything made a sound, but time passed quietly, oblivious to everything.
It's past midnight, the fourth day of the third lunar month.
Ye Xiren and Yan Danqing exchanged a glance, then simultaneously let out a long breath and smiled at each other.
Thus, the cyclical pattern is completely determined.
-
"He's still not back?" Ye Pei paced anxiously, looking quite uneasy. "It's almost dawn, where on earth has General Yan gone?"
Inside the Dali Temple, he paced anxiously back and forth.
Bai Chengguang and Zheng Wenjue walked from another direction. Both of them had not slept all night and their eyes were dark, but they looked relaxed. The victory of the "pro-war faction" gave them hope.
"How is it? Have you found it yet?" Ye Pei asked anxiously.
Zheng Wenjue shook his head: "Not yet, Lord Ye, don't worry. General Yan said he would be back before dawn. As for the gunpowder, have you dug it up yet?"
"We found it." Bai Chengguang nodded, gritting his teeth. "That Yan traitor was indeed a wolf in sheep's clothing. He actually buried gunpowder to blow up the young general. Fortunately, it was discovered in advance."
"Yesterday, that Yan traitor was brought into the palace to meet the Emperor. I don't know how His Majesty will execute him. It's almost dawn, and not a single word has come out of the palace." Zheng Wenjue sighed, somewhat worried.
Ye Pei was still preoccupied with when Yan Danqing would return, scratching his head. "Oh dear, where did General Yan go? Who was he with? He hasn't come back all night!"
Who do you actually spend the night with?!
"What are you worried about?" Zheng Wenjue asked, puzzled. "The court hasn't announced the execution of Chizhan Lance yet. I think General Yan shouldn't rush back. Let him return after we've confirmed the wolfish ambitions of the Northern Yan. Only then can we ensure his safety."
Bai Chengguang nodded in agreement, even raising his chin with a fearless air, "At worst, we'll be judged for dereliction of duty, what can they do to us?"
They were willing to risk General Yan's life!
Upon hearing this, Ye Pei almost burst into tears. His face contorted in a grimace, and he wailed, "The problem is that I vouched for this before His Majesty with the lives of my entire family!"
Zheng Wenjue: "?"
Bai Chengguang: "?"
The three men exchanged glances, looking at each other blankly. Then, these three weathered old men, who hadn't slept all night, stood outside the Dali Temple and sighed simultaneously. This was truly...
"well."
At this moment, a man from the Dali Temple rushed out, stammering, "My lord, inside... inside the dungeon..."
He was so shocked that he could barely speak, and kept pointing in the direction of the Dali Temple prison, the place where Yan Danqing was originally to be imprisoned.
The three men, disregarding their decorum, rushed into the prison. They were all quite old, and by the time they reached the prison, they were all panting heavily and exhausted.
But no one cared; they all stared wide-eyed at the person sitting obediently inside.
This man was incredibly young and handsome, dressed in a black outfit that exuded an imposing aura. His bright eyes made even the most ordinary prison cell seem to radiate brilliance as he sat inside.
Ye Pei took a breath and subconsciously asked, "Where did you go?"
The three of them were guarding outside the Dali Temple, so why didn't they see him return? He comes and goes so freely; isn't the Dali Temple too unreliable?
Yan Danqing blinked, looking completely innocent: "I haven't gone anywhere. I've been locked up in Dali Temple the whole time. Didn't you bring me here yesterday?"
The three of them: "..."
-
March 4th, Shen time.
"Miss..." Xuechan gently nudged her and whispered, "Miss, the young master has been waiting for you outside all day. Would you like to get up?"
Xuechan was very worried.
The second young lady disappeared last night, and the madam was extremely worried. The eldest young master searched for her secretly all night, but the master did not return. The family did not know what to do. It was the old madam who decided to let the young lady go, not to make a fuss, and to wait quietly.
The girl finally returned at the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), looking quite exhausted. She said she would sleep for a while first, but unexpectedly, she slept until the afternoon. In her dream, the girl's brows were furrowed, and she slept very restlessly.
Hearing the voice, Ye Xiren opened her eyes with difficulty, her head was foggy, and her voice was hoarse: "What time is it?"
"Shenshi (3-5 PM)".
Upon hearing this, Ye Xiren's pupils contracted, and she sat up abruptly, incredulous. She had actually slept for a whole day?!
This morning, Chunzhou escorted her back to the Ye residence, telling her to rest well and put aside her affairs. She also felt extremely tired and thought she would sleep for a while before getting up to deal with the remaining matters. With Chunzhou back at the Dali Temple, the Yan family army was essentially in her hands again, along with her father, Chizhan Lance…
With so many things weighing on my mind, I shouldn't have been able to sleep, but I almost fell into a deep sleep.
Ye Xiren rubbed her temples and cheered herself up.
Even though everything had restarted, she felt as if she had been exhausted for a long time. Her body felt like it had been beaten up, her hands and feet were weak, she had little strength, and her head was dizzy.
After washing my face and eating something, my exhausted body finally recovered and I felt more energetic.
"Has Father come back?" she asked.
Xuechan shook her head: "Master hasn't come back since last night."
Ye Xiren was startled and grabbed her sleeve, asking again, "What news is there outside?"
Xuechan looked blank and shook her head again.
Ye Xiren frowned even more, stood up, put on her cloak, and walked outside.
As expected, Ye Changming had been waiting in the courtyard. When he saw her come out, he jumped up with a jolt. Ye Xiren had given him too much of a shock yesterday, and he had a lot of questions he wanted to ask her...
However, before he could speak, Ye Xiren asked first, "What's the situation now? Father hasn't returned? Where's Yan Danqing? Where's Chizhan Lance? Has there been any news from the palace?"
A bunch of questions shoved another bunch of questions that were stuck in his throat back down.
Ye Changming: "..."
Although he looked confused, he still answered honestly: "There is no news. Dad went out yesterday morning and never came back. In the evening, he sent someone to say that he had official business and would not be coming back for the time being. He told us to stay at home and to take good care of you."
"I haven't heard any news about General Yan. However, after Lu Qian's death, the Imperial City Guard was placed under martial law and sealed off. It seems the Crown Prince of Northern Yan was involved in a major battle in the West Market yesterday and was taken to the palace by the Imperial Guard Commander. There's been no news since, and people are speculating about what's going on with the peace talks..."
Compared to the clear-cut pro-peace and pro-war factions in the court, the common people are basically hoping for a swift peace negotiation to prevent further war and bring peace to the land. Yesterday was the day for the peace talks, but for some reason, no news has come out.
Rumors were rampant, with all sorts of fabricated gossip circulating. Some even claimed that the Crown Prince of Northern Yan had taken a fancy to a noblewoman from Liang and forcibly abducted her in the street, while others said that the noblewoman had a relationship with General Yan…
What is all this?
Ye Changming's head was throbbing from listening.
Upon hearing this, Ye Xiren bit her finger and frowned in deep thought.
Has the palace not yet reached a decision regarding Chizhan Lance? Or are they waiting for evidence proving Chunzhou's innocence to arrive? Has it been delivered to the Emperor yet?
"I'm going to wait at the Dali Temple," Ye Xiren said, then quickly walked out.
Ye Changming was completely bewildered. He limped after him, muttering, "Hey, wait for me! Even if you, a girl, wanted to go to the Dali Temple, would they let you in?"
He kept muttering, "What secret do you have? I'm your brother, and you haven't told me anything. Ye Xiao'er, you've really got guts these days..."
Despite his dissatisfaction, he still dutifully "used his connections" to bring Ye Xiren into the Dali Temple, while also inquiring about information from Bai Chengguang and Zheng Wenjue's men.
"The three officials were at the Dali Temple this morning. Later, they received news that something about Prime Minister Jiang and Councilor Zhang had been summoned to the palace. They haven't come out yet," Yun Shun reported.
Ye Changming was completely bewildered and subconsciously looked at Ye Xiren. Since yesterday, the two of them had been subtly in a relationship where Ye Xiren gave orders and Ye Changming carried them out.
Ye Xiren stood up abruptly, her eyes wide, and asked again, "What about General Yan? Did His Majesty summon General Yan today?"
"General Yan is still in prison." Yun Shun shook his head.
Ye Xiren sat back down, her eyes filled with worry.
If Chunzhou's "treasonous crimes" have been cleared, His Majesty should have summoned him. There has been no news so far. Is it because the discussion has not yet reached a conclusion, or has some other unexpected event occurred?
She felt a little uneasy.
Yun Shun left, and Ye Changming lowered his voice: "What exactly happened? Explain yourself to me!"
"Can I go see General Yan?" Ye Xiren had no time to explain such a complicated matter to him. She was uneasy, and her face showed her anxiety.
Seeing her like this, Ye Changming poured her a cup of hot tea and shook his head:
"The Court of Judicial Review isn't mine, how could I take you to a prison? General Yan's charges are still undetermined, and he's currently being held in a prison for serious offenders. The people from the Court of Judicial Review won't let us in. You should give up on that idea..."
"If Uncle Bai and the others were here, it might be possible, but they're not at the Dali Temple right now."
It seemed she had no choice but to keep waiting. Ye Xiren exhaled, her fingers twisting the hem of her clothes. Hidden in her sleeves were a dagger on one side and Yan Danqing's private orders on the other, which gave her a slight sense of security.
That shouldn't be the case. Chi Zhan Lan Ce has already revealed his "malicious intentions," so why is there still no conclusion?
Ye Changming leaned closer and lowered his voice: "Are you and Dad rescuing General Yan? I checked after I went back yesterday, and the people you brought are actually the Yan family army!"
He glanced around furtively, and only spoke again when he saw no one was watching, unable to hide his excitement:
"When did you get involved with the Yan family army? And why do they listen to you? And Lu Qian, you killed him with one blow, and no one even bothered to investigate..."
Unbelievable!
Upon hearing this, Ye Xiren glanced at him and said irritably, "No one cares about investigating Lu Qian's death right now. Compared to Yan Danqing, Chizhan Lance, and the war at the front, what is a traitor like him?"
Lu Qian is the commander of the Imperial City, a position of paramount importance. However, gunpowder was buried under the dungeon. Even without evidence to prove his involvement, his tenure as commander is over. In addition, given the current situation, who has time to stand up for him?
Once everything is over and Yan Danqing comes out, he will handle the aftermath of Lu Qian's murder; there's no need to worry.
Ye Xiren had already planned it out when she took action, but she didn't expect that it would be almost 7 PM on the fourth day of the third month and there would still be no result. What was the situation in the palace?
Given all this, do those peacemakers still think they can protect Chizhan Lance? They can't be that naive, can they?
Ye Xiren was extremely anxious, wishing she could fly into the palace to find out what was going on.
Ye Changming suddenly stood up and looked towards the door:
"Dad's back!"
Ye Xiren immediately looked up and saw not only Ye Pei, but also Bai Chengguang, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, beside him. The two returned to the Court of Judicial Review together, dressed in red robes and wearing black gauze hats, their eyes revealing their exhaustion.
Upon seeing this, Ye Xiren's lips gradually curved upwards, and all the gloom and worry on her face disappeared, revealing a bright and cheerful smile.
She saw that Ye Pei was holding the imperial edict!
"Father, are we finally going to release General Yan?"
-----------------------
Author's note: March 4th is here!
I'm posting a long chapter today, and there will be red envelopes (cash gifts) in the comments. I'll distribute them with tomorrow's update. Thank you all for your support!
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