Chapter 42 The Twentieth Time of Restraint!
Chapter 42
Prime Minister's Residence
Jiang You was writing a memorial with his head down. The small characters on it were clear and legible. The small study was quiet except for his calm breathing.
After finishing writing, he stared at the contents of the brush for a long time, sitting motionless in the study until the ink was about to drip. Only then did he suddenly come to his senses, put the brush aside, and sigh deeply.
He then took out a box from under the table and slowly opened it.
There are six letters inside.
Jiang You ran his fingers over the letter; the four corners were already curled up, indicating that he often took it out to look at it, and he could already recite its contents by heart.
After the ink on the folded document dried, he put the six letters together with the folded document, picked them up, and prepared to leave the study.
A rhythmic knocking sound came from outside.
Jiang You frowned, opened the window, and the man in black handed him a small, rolled-up piece of paper, which looked like a secret letter taken from a pigeon's leg.
He immediately opened it to check, and his pupils contracted.
The man in black whispered a few words in Jiang You's ear, and Jiang You's expression suddenly changed. He took a deep breath, and after a long while, he made a decision. He hurriedly returned, put the six letters back into the box and locked it, then threw the letters into the fire and burned them completely.
"Enter the palace!" Jiang You strode out the door.
-
There are two hours left until the fifth day of the third month.
Ma Shan's breathing became rapid, and his brows furrowed: "Second Miss Ye, Lord Ye, at Shenshi (3-5 PM), we received the imperial decree and were about to leave Nandu at full speed, but when we reached the city gate, we were stopped by Prime Minister Jiang's men and asked to wait a while."
Ye Pei immediately became anxious: "Military intelligence is urgent! News of Chi Zhanlan Ce's death could reach Northern Yan at any moment. How can we wait now?!"
“That’s what I thought too, but General Zhao told me to follow the imperial court’s orders and not to leave first.” Ma Shan shook his head, his face grim. “I feel that General Zhao’s reaction is a bit strange; he doesn’t seem to want to go to the battlefield!”
This is troublesome; a general chosen by the imperial court doesn't want to go to the battlefield...
Ye Pei immediately denied this guess:
"Impossible! General Zhao's entire family was killed by the Northern Yan people. When he was chosen as the General Who Guards the South today, his reaction was that he couldn't wait to go to the battlefield!"
This person is the most suitable candidate at present. Otherwise, the pro-war faction would not have agreed. They didn't even hesitate to use Ma Shan. Why would they randomly choose a general?
Ma Shan hesitated, but from his perspective, General Zhao seemed very hesitant, his brows furrowed. Jiang You asked him to wait, so he waited quietly at the city gate, showing no sign of being in a hurry to go to the battlefield.
Ye Xiren suddenly spoke up: "It's not necessarily that he doesn't want to go, but it's also possible that he doesn't want to go just like that. There must be some secrets involved. After General Zhao was conferred his title, he prepared for war in the court with the Ministry of War and the Ministry of Revenue. Father, you were not involved, so it's normal that you don't know what happened."
She frowned slightly, noted this down, and then asked:
"What happened next? Why were you prevented from leaving? And what's the situation now?"
Upon hearing this, Ma Shan looked distressed and continued, "I sent them to inquire, and they only found out that Prime Minister Jiang hurriedly entered the palace at dusk and hasn't come out yet. I've been waiting until now, but I still feel uneasy, so I forced myself to run out."
What exactly happened?
They were clearly in a hurry to prepare for the battle, so why did it suddenly stop?
Outside the Ye residence, members of the Ye family frowned deeply.
Ye Pei took a deep breath and hurriedly said, "I'll go and find out what's going on. Military intelligence can't be delayed. What kind of business is this? General Ma, go to the city gate first. I'll get back to you as soon as possible."
As he was about to leave, Ye Xiren suddenly spoke up: "Father, I'll go with you."
What are you going to do?
Ye Pei was about to refuse when he met Ye Xiren's dark eyes. The eyes, which had been as calm as a stagnant pool, were now rippling with emotion, and he swallowed back the refusal that was about to come out.
"Okay, let's go." Ye Pei led Ye Xiren away in a hurry.
He limped after him, cursing and swearing.
There is still one and a half hours left until the fifth day of the third month.
"Even your Uncle Bai was unaware of this..." After leaving the Bai family, Ye Pei's expression turned solemn. The more he couldn't find out, the more it indicated a problem. It was always unsettling to see something happen at such a crucial time.
Bai Chengguang has already inquired, but they can't rely on him. Where else can they find out?
Ye Pei frowned in thought.
At this moment, Ye Changming, along with Fatty Jin and Thin Yin, limped back, panting heavily.
"How is it?" Ye Xiren asked hurriedly.
Ye Changming caught his breath and shook his head: "Lord Zheng doesn't know either. He only knows that Prime Minister Jiang went into the palace and hasn't come out yet. Besides him, only Councilor Zhang went with him. The palace gates are closed."
"However, Lord Zheng said we could ask Councilor Liu. He has been staying in the palace and only recently returned to his residence. He is also on good terms with Jiang You, so he probably knows some clues."
Ye Pei frowned.
Ye Xiren asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"
Ye Changming sighed: "Counselor Liu is like an eel, slippery and hard to handle. He never gets involved in anything and is extremely greedy. It's hard to get him to talk."
"Let's go, we have to give it a try. We can't keep General Zhao and the others waiting like this. We need to get to the Huai'an Canal quickly." After Ye Pei finished speaking, he led the group towards Liu Duoxi's house.
Ye Xiren lifted her skirt and quickly followed.
Time passed slowly, and it was already the hour of Hai (9-11 PM). The fourth day of the third lunar month was about to end, and once the fifth day of the third lunar month arrived, we could never go back to the fourth day of the third lunar month...
There is only one hour left until the fifth day of the third month.
Liu Mansion
The chubby Liu Duoxi greeted them with a smile, glanced at the sky, and raised an eyebrow slightly. "What are you doing so late at night, Lord Ye?"
After the Great Liang moved to the Southern Capital, there was no strict curfew for the time being, but it was customary that no one went out late at night, especially in the middle of the night.
Ye Pei, always straightforward, spoke frankly:
"Lord Liu, I would like to know what exactly happened in the palace? General Zhao and General Ma are still waiting at the city gate with their troops. Military matters cannot be delayed. I wonder what Prime Minister Jiang's intentions are?"
It's not good to inquire about the Emperor, but it's fine to inquire about Prime Minister Jiang. Besides, this whole thing was started by Jiang You.
Liu Duoxi paused slightly as he stroked his beard, but his smile remained unchanged. "His Majesty and Prime Minister Jiang naturally have other plans. As their subjects, we should obediently follow orders and carry out our duties. What do you say?"
He paused, then squinted and advised:
"Furthermore, all matters are naturally handled by those above. His Majesty has ordered Minister Ye to reflect on his mistakes behind closed doors, so he should distance himself from this and worry less. No matter where they are blocked, there are always taller people to hold up the sky if it falls. It's so late, wouldn't it be better to just stay at home and get some sleep?"
As he spoke, Liu Duoxi yawned, fitting the occasion.
An inexplicable anger surged within Ye Xiren.
I really want that guy in the water dungeon to come out and see what kind of people he's protecting!
Seeing Liu Duoxi narrow his eyes as if to see the guest out, Ye Xiren couldn't hold back any longer and spoke coldly, suppressing her anger:
"Lord Liu, my father is worried about the safety of the Great Liang Dynasty, which is why he is still working so late. If he were to sleep soundly now and delay military intelligence, allowing the Northern Yan to break through the Huai'an Canal and enter the Southern Capital, no one would be able to sleep!"
"Ye Xiren!" Ye Pei scolded, then stepped forward and grabbed Liu Duoxi's hand before Liu could frown, and said with a smile, "This young woman is reckless and has little knowledge. Please don't take it to heart, sir. I just want to know what happened and do my part for the court. We can't just let General Zhao and the others wait around, can we?"
As they shook hands, a thick wad of silver notes was slipped into his sleeve.
Liu Duoxi immediately paused.
Immediately, the displeasure on his face disappeared. He quietly slipped the silver note into his sleeve and smiled again: "Don't worry, how could I possibly stoop to the level of a little girl?"
He paused for a moment, then lowered his voice and quickly revealed some news: "It seems that I heard that Minister Jiang received a secret letter, suggesting that there might still be a possibility of peace talks, so he immediately went to the palace and is currently discussing matters with His Majesty..."
Ye Pei's expression changed drastically, and he immediately asked, "Sir, do you know what kind of secret message it is?"
"How could I possibly find out any of this? I've already told you everything I know. Go back now, I won't see you off."
Liu Duoxi waved her hand: "I want to go back to sleep. I was sleeping soundly when you woke me up. Really..."
After saying that, without waiting for Ye Pei to ask any more questions, he had the servants escort them out, and then turned around, yawning.
Leave the Liu residence.
Ye Xiren loosened her clenched fist, her lips were already white from biting them, and she squeezed out a sound with difficulty, word by word:
"Is this what a second-rank official in the court is like?! A mere figurehead, a good-for-nothing who holds a position without doing his job. If the court is full of officials like this, what future does the Great Liang have?"
He always claims to be uninvolved, yet he can uncover secret information by offering bribes. And this is supposed to be the Vice Minister of State Affairs, second only to the Prime Minister? Is this the kind of person he is?
This wasn't the first time Ye Xiren had met Liu Duoxi.
On the first day of the third month, when the carriage collided with Chi Zhanlan's carriage, they had already met once. Liu Duoxi was arrogant and condescending towards Ye Pei, and extremely obsequious to the Crown Prince of Northern Yan. If the court was full of officials like this, the country was doomed.
Yan Danqing should be allowed to come out and see for himself!
Ye Pei tugged at Ye Xiren, and the group continued walking back. "Don't talk about these things. When the nest is overturned, no egg remains unbroken. We are all people of Daliang. Right now, it's good enough that we can get any information. I really didn't expect the court to still want to negotiate. No wonder they stopped General Zhao and General Ma. It's probably because His Majesty and Jiang Guan haven't reached a conclusion on war and peace yet..."
Whether to fight or not, the imperial edict the general received was completely different, so naturally they couldn't be let leave now. The palace was still discussing it, and Ye Pei was extremely anxious, fearing that something else might happen.
"What secret letter could have made them want to negotiate again?" Ye Changming wondered.
Something seemed to flash through Ye Xiren's mind, but she couldn't quite grasp it. She frowned, lowered her head, and followed their footsteps. The group headed back to the Ye residence, and time continued to pass.
There is only half an hour left until the fifth day of the third lunar month.
What exactly did she forget?
Then, footsteps sounded again.
Ye Pei abruptly stopped, with Jiang Sui, Fatty Jin, and Thin Silver blocking their way, watching warily in the direction of the footsteps. The next moment, the black-clad female swordsman appeared.
It's Yan Shuang.
Ye Xiren breathed a sigh of relief, pulled Ye Changming aside from blocking her way, and stepped forward. "Yan Shuang, what brings you here?"
"I just received a message from Jade Silver Shop, and they asked me to pass it on to you immediately."
Ye Xiren caught it.
After Yan Shuang finished speaking, she silently disappeared with her knife in her arms. She deliberately made footsteps when she came in, and left almost without a sound. That's what a master does.
Ye Changming frowned: "Who is this person? He looks like a ghost!"
Yan Shuang, who hadn't gone far, twitched her ears and glanced back at him. For some reason, Ye Changming felt a sudden pain in his hands and feet and immediately shut up and behaved himself.
Ye Xiren had already opened the note.
[Jiang You received a secret letter informing him that Northern Yan had appointed a new crown prince, and he attempted to continue pushing for peace talks.]
Her pupils contracted instantly, and the thought that had flashed through her mind was suddenly seized. It had been repeated so many times that some details had been forgotten, but now, with a hint, she remembered it all!
In the thirteenth cycle, Chi Zhanlan was killed, and Yan Danqing was taken away with gunpowder. Both of them died. Later, she set a trap in Mashan to lure out Jiang You, and she killed them all in the Ye Mansion.
Jiang You's visit at that time was due to the secret letter from Northern Yan regarding the establishment of a new crown prince, which gave the pro-peace faction renewed hope for peace talks...
But that was the third day of the third lunar month!
After saying that, she lifted her skirt and ran in another direction.
At this moment, this place was no longer important; she couldn't care less about anything else and just rushed towards the Imperial City Guard, as time was running out.
"Hey!" Ye Changming shouted, trying to chase after them.
Ye Pei pulled him back and shook her head: "Your sister is all grown up now. Don't protect her under your wings all the time. She's already... more capable than we imagined." And she has more secrets than they imagined.
Ye Xiren ran all the way to the outside of the Imperial City Guard, her eyes fixed on the direction of the Imperial Prison.
It's 15 minutes until the fifth day of the third lunar month.
All the inconsistencies come together: Chi Zhanlan Ce died, and if a message had been sent by carrier pigeon, it could indeed have been delivered back and forth on the same day. However, Northern Yan received news of Chi Zhanlan Ce's death, confirmed a new crown prince, and then appointed a new crown prince...
Is it really possible to complete this in a single day?
Moreover, Chizhan Lance died on the third day of the third month, and Jiang You received the secret letter on the third day of the third month. Chizhan Lance died on the fourth day of the third month, and Jiang You received the secret letter on the fourth day of the third month.
Then, recalling the peace terms proposed by Chizhan Lance yesterday, and the "Crown Prince's Letter" that the Liang court so desperately wanted, the letter about withdrawing troops was stamped with... the Crown Prince's seal.
Ye Xiren let out a breath.
Her eyes grew brighter as she gazed toward the prison. Things weren't entirely hopeless, were they?
Having just entered the cycle, I was filled with fear and confusion, my only thought was how to stop my family from courting disaster and save my family members' lives.
Later, upon learning that everything was caused by Ye Pei, and that he was a staunch advocate of war and had to do these things to protect Yan Danqing's life in the imperial prison, Ye Xiren chose to support her father in protecting the country while she stayed home to guard the family.
So she went to see Yan Danqing, and because he continued to be caught in the cycle, she couldn't see any hope and went crazy with despair, wishing she could kill everyone and make sure no one lived!
Today, Yan Danqing made the choice he wanted, and Ye Xiren can live. However, she is still restless and uneasy, as if a huge mountain is pressing down on her, making it hard to breathe. No one knows how conflicted she is inside...
At this moment, Ye Xiren finally regained consciousness.
All the confusion, fear, and madness in her eyes vanished. Now, she made a new decision, a clear-headed and rational one. Since entering the cycle, she had never been so calm.
She wants to break free from the cycle.
We must also uncover the truth and break free from the cycle without any regrets.
Each cycle is an opportunity given to them by fate, so how could they despair? With each restart, she learns more and gets closer to the truth than before.
Ye Xiren didn't know why she was trapped in this cycle, experiencing such bizarre events, how to escape, what the future held for the Great Liang Dynasty, or whether she would live or die...
But it doesn't matter, she will eventually figure it out step by step.
As the fifth day of the third lunar month approached, Ye Xiren raised her hand, placed a knife against her neck, and revealed a bright smile.
The knife kissed her neck, not for General Yan, not for Daliang, not for the Ye family, but only for herself. No longer was she being pushed around in a daze; she had found her backbone.
She could live on without regrets, and without having to live on the flesh and blood of others.
"Spring day, wait for me to save you."
Reopen.
The twentieth cycle.
-
The fourth day of the third lunar month, at the hour of Yin (3-5 AM).
When Ye Xiren opened her eyes again, she was awake and skillfully tied her hair, dressed, washed up and ate a simple breakfast. Everything was done smoothly and skillfully, which stunned Xuechan, the maid who was carrying the basin of water.
She took her cloak and gave General Yan a private order, then carefully concealed the dagger in her sleeve, gently tapped the dazed Xuechan on the head, and hurriedly left.
He strode out of the yard like a gust of wind.
Ye Changming, who was lying outside waiting for his sister to wake up, barely opened his eyes. It was still dark, and by the candlelight, he could only see a blurry figure that quickly disappeared.
Ye Changming: "???"
What happened?
Ye Xiren left the Ye family quickly. The moon was bright and the stars were few. The eastern sky was pitch black, and the morning light had not yet risen. She headed straight for the Dali Temple.
At dawn on the fourth day of the third lunar month, Yan Danqing was still at the Dali Temple, but he was about to kill Chizhan Lance. Ye Xiren had to get ahead of him to stop him from repeating the same mistake.
She walked very fast, panting heavily, the lantern she was carrying swaying, and despite the still chilly morning air, she was sweating profusely.
But soon, Ye Xiren heard footsteps coming from ahead.
It's heading in her direction.
Ye Xiren looked up and vaguely saw a familiar figure running towards her. Even though it was still dark and the other person didn't even bring a lantern... she knew it was him!
After the reopening, Yan Danqing didn't go to kill Chi Zhanlan Ce, but instead came to find her first.
Ye Xiren smiled brightly and quickened her pace to get there.
Yan Danqing was faster than her.
The two rushed toward each other, the lanterns swaying, casting two shadows that staggered closer. Just as they reached each other, before Ye Xiren could even speak, Yan Danqing grabbed her and pulled her tightly into his arms, his strong arms gripping her tightly.
Ye Xiren froze, and with a flick of her wrist, the lantern fell to the ground, making a sound that startled the person in front of her.
Yan Danqing then realized his lapse in composure and hurriedly let go of her hand. He had been running too fast, and his pale face was flushed with sweat. His cold face showed some of the youthful spirit of his age, and he was anxious and annoyed.
The sound stopped abruptly, and Ye Xiren was staring at him.
She roared even more fiercely than Yan Danqing:
"Where did you escape the loop? If you escaped the loop, how could I restart it? Besides, you were being waterboarded there, how could I live with a clear conscience?! You think your sacrifice will fulfill your noble cause? Let me tell you, Yan Chunzhou, I only restarted it after obtaining new clues. Your sacrifice is completely useless. That's just blind loyalty! A stupid act!"
Ye Xiren cursed and swore nonstop. Yan Danqing was taller and stronger than her, but when Ye Xiren stood with her hands on her hips and lectured her, Yan Danqing listened obediently like a quail. Yan Danqing even relaxed her eyebrows and smiled as she looked at Ye Xiren.
It was as if her babbling and scolding were quite pleasant to hear.
Ye Xiren: "..."
I can't keep cursing anymore.
She looked at Yan Danqing, and Yan Danqing looked at her. After a while, the two of them, who had been holding back a lot of things to say, laughed at the same time, their eyebrows raised, and their mood instantly improved.
Isn't it something to be happy about that they are all still alive and well and can meet each other at this moment?
“Let’s go, let’s talk somewhere else.” Yan Danqing picked up the lantern, grabbed Ye Xiren’s wrist, and headed in another direction.
Ye Xiren was slightly taken aback.
She looked at Yan Danqing's slender fingers gripping her wrist. The numerous scars and bulging veins on his hand couldn't hide its beauty. The distinct knuckles and the calluses on the base of his thumb, worn from years of holding a gun, were even more reassuring.
this……
This young General Yan is so unreserved!
-----------------------
Author's Note: I originally wanted to explain the male lead's behavior in this chapter, but I haven't gotten to that point yet QAQ
Let's move on to the next chapter...
This book has many plot twists, and many foreshadowing clues have not yet been resolved. The male and female protagonists are characters who grow and develop, but neither of them will actually rebel and become emperors... I'm just saying this in advance in case readers can't accept it.
It's actually a really good story. The outline of the story is complete, and the beginning and end are very clear. The cycle is about trial and error. When there were some ups and downs in the middle, I understand everyone's feelings and I'm very sorry.
Thank you for your support! *kowtowing* [doge head with rose in hand]
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