Chapter 54 Offense for the Twenty-First Time!
Chapter 54
Let him live, but that doesn't mean let him live well.
With its claws and teeth chopped off and wings clipped, the notoriously "hard-to-kill" Chi Zhan Lan Ce is now like an eagle with broken wings or a turtle without its shell... Is it still hard to kill?
Yan Danqing remained calm and his voice was indifferent, as if he were merely offering a perfunctory greeting rather than discussing the life and death of a thousand people. Holding the imperial edict, he had the authority to execute these Northern Yan people.
Bai Chengguang gasped and nodded hastily.
"Yes, I'll arrange it."
In that instant, Bai Chengguang felt an uncontrollable tremor. The peace faction was powerful, while the war faction was weak and silent. At most, they could struggle with their own lives and resist desperately. Without a leader, they were powerless to resist the oppressive Chi Zhanlan Ce.
Now that Yan Danqing has emerged, the pro-war faction has an unshakeable "core." He is right here, seemingly able to withstand all storms, just like last year, when he firmly blocked the Northern Yan at the Huai'an Canal, preserving stability for the south and preventing war.
Bai Chengguang turned around excitedly to carry out the order.
As for what Chizhan Lance would say after he found out?
Ha, whatever!
A prisoner should be treated like a prisoner. We were only flattering him before because Daliang was going to negotiate peace with Beiyan. Now that we've found out what he did in Daliang, do we still expect him to be treated well?
As if remembering something, Yan Danqing whispered a few more instructions, which Ma Shan accepted, and he left with Bai Chengguang.
"I'm going to see Chizhan Lance."
He turned to look at Ye Xiren, his eyes softening. Seeing her nod, he then stepped into the prison.
Ye Xiren wanted to go and see.
Ye Pei pulled her back:
"Let General Yan go by himself. Don't appear in front of Chi Zhanlan Ce again. He's a scheming and vindictive person. I'm afraid the more he sees you, the more he'll hold a grudge..."
Ye Pei couldn't help but worry whenever he thought about Chi Zhanlan Ce's attitude towards Ye Xiren.
Is it a good thing to be remembered by someone like that?
Originally, they wanted to meet to gather information, but the situation has changed again. Regardless of whether the peace talks are genuine or not, the court has entrusted the Crown Prince of Northern Yan to Yan Danqing and Jiang You. With these two working together, others can feel a little more at ease.
For safety's sake, Xixi should avoid having any involvement with him.
That's true.
Ye Xiren wholeheartedly agreed and stopped in her tracks. "This Crown Prince of Northern Yan is truly brilliant. With a brain like that, no wonder he holds such a prominent position in Northern Yan." She figured anyone who dared to challenge him wouldn't live a good life!
Then another question arises: given his high status in Northern Yan and his exceptional intelligence, why would he need to personally risk his life to come to Daliang?
Ye Xiren fell into deep thought.
There was a sudden silence beside him, then Ye Pei abruptly asked, "What is your relationship with Yan Danqing?"
Ye Xiren: "Huh?"
She looked bewildered: "What?"
Ye Pei's expression was complicated, and he couldn't put it into words: "You two are behaving intimately and talking intimately... Tell me, when exactly did you meet? And how far has your relationship progressed?"
To call them "close" is an understatement. The way they were just now made it seem as if they were one, bound by a unique bond, creating a special atmosphere that no one else could intrude upon.
Then look at Yan Danqing, the young general, spirited and ambitious, with a touch of aloofness and determination. He actually wanted to speak to Ye Xiren in a humble manner, with lowered eyes and a submissive expression, to discuss things together...
Ye Pei was inexplicably annoyed.
Looking at Yan Danqing alone, Ye Pei couldn't say a bad word about him; he was full of praise. He would even get angry and argue with anyone who slandered him. But putting this person next to his Xixi made Ye Pei quite unhappy!
Beside him, Liu Duoxi smiled and cupped his hands in greeting: "Now that this matter is settled and the crisis in Daliang has passed, I'm afraid we should congratulate Lord Ye."
Ye Pei's face darkened.
He wanted to argue, but in the end he just flicked his sleeves and gave a cold snort without expression.
That's enough. Children have their own blessings. These are turbulent times. It's good to be alive. Nothing else matters. Let's deal with everything after the disaster is over.
Ye Xiren: "..."
There's been a misunderstanding!
Their shared existence in the same cycle naturally makes them somewhat special. Aside from that, there's nothing else. Her relationship with Chunzhou is that of a gentleman, adhering strictly to boundaries…
Thinking of this, Ye Xiren paused slightly.
Well, at most they just applied some medicine, hugged each other, and shook hands... Her breath hitched, she scratched her head, her ears suddenly turned red, her cheeks burned, and her heart pounded for a moment.
-
Imperial Prison
Chi Zhanlan Ce's ears twitched; someone else was coming.
He looked up and saw Yan Danqing walking in unhurriedly, his purple robes swaying, his figure as straight as a pine tree, his expression calm. The two walked in one and looked at each other, neither of them saying a word.
Until Yan Danqing walked up to them, one stood and one sat, their eyes met, and they remained silent, sizing each other up. An invisible confrontation slowly unfolded, the candlelight flickered, and their shadows swayed.
After a long silence, Chi Zhanlan leaned back, looked up at him with a half-smile, and asked, "General Yan, what brings you here?"
Yan Danqing looked at him, her fingers tracing the calluses on her hands from gripping the gun, and after a long while, she said:
"I thought our confrontation should take place on the battlefield."
They had clashed since last year, or even earlier, each leading the forces of their respective countries to fight on the battlefield. They were evenly matched and the outcome was still undecided.
Chi Zhanlan Ce's breath hitched. He lowered his eyes, concealing all the emotions surging within them in an instant. In the candlelight, his lowered eyelids trembled slightly.
Then, he raised his head, his voice calm:
"Where is not a battlefield? The treacherous court is, and so is the human heart."
"So, you're manipulating people's hearts, trying to stir up trouble in Daliang to take my life?" Yan Danqing asked him, their eyes meeting.
"It didn't work, did it?"
Chi Zhanlan asked in return, then sighed:
"I thought I had calculated everything perfectly, and that your fate was sealed the moment you came to Nandu, Daliang. But I never expected that in such a situation, with no chance of winning, you would still be able to escape and completely turn the tables... Yan Chunzhou, why is that?"
Yan Danqing thought of Ye Xiren, her brows relaxed, and she said softly, "I'm lucky to have met the person who saved me."
Chi Zhanlan Ce scoffed softly, his eyes gradually turning cold. A madness and resentment flashed across his pale face. He leaned forward, forcing out a sound from his throat:
"Yes, how come you're so lucky? God is really unfair!"
Yan Danqing approached, his eyes calm and indifferent, and replied, "The exceptionally intelligent Crown Prince of Northern Yan has no right to complain that Heaven is unfair."
"The crown prince who has fallen into the prison of an enemy state?" Chi Zhanlan Ce's smile became even more mocking, and he remained noncommittal about whether it was fair.
Yan Danqing leaned against the iron railing and asked again, "So, you're going to scheme again and take my life? Is my life that valuable that you're willing to risk it?"
He was very curious.
If anyone else were here, they would be puzzled by the atmosphere between the two. There was no murderous intent between them, and it was like the conversation between old friends who had not seen each other for a long time... But they both knew that deep down, they both only wanted to eliminate each other completely!
"I have already lost, Yan Danqing. Let's leave our duel for later. We've been fighting for years, and neither Liang nor Beiyan can afford to waste time. Let's make peace. You know, if I don't kill you, then the peace talks are genuine."
Yan Danqing remained silent.
Chi Zhanlan Ce raised an eyebrow: "You don't believe me?"
Yan Danqing lowered his eyes, leaning back, yet his posture remained as upright as a pine tree, his expression unmoved, his tone calm and resolute:
"I don't believe it."
Just three words, seemingly without much power, yet they can send a jolt through one's soul.
"Hahaha! How interesting. I used to think that people in this world were all boring and could be seen through at a glance. Desire, ambition, selfishness, ugly to the extreme. But I never expected that I would meet two interesting people here in Daliang."
Yan Danqing, Ye Xiren.
He pondered those two names in his mind.
These two interesting people are the ones he finally "cares about" in his life, but unfortunately, they are both his enemies.
Yan Danqing looked down at him, saying nothing more. He didn't expect to learn the truth from Chi Zhanlan Ce, nor did he expect to read his thoughts from his face...
Never trust this person.
Chi Zhanlan Ce was about to say something when another set of footsteps sounded. He looked up and saw Ma Shan pushing in two seriously injured people. The two men were chained and staggered.
Moler, Ayou.
The two men were covered in blood and filled with barely suppressed fear. Their eyes were fixed on Yan Danqing, filled with hatred, yet also with great apprehension, and they dared not approach him!
Chi Zhanlan Ce's pupils contracted, his fingers paused slightly, then tightened, his voice hoarse: "Where are the others?"
The two rushed to the prison door, their faces streaked with tears. Möller, trembling with fear, managed to utter, "Your Highness..."
Chi Zhanlan Ce lowered his eyes: "Are they all dead?"
Ayou nodded, his body instinctively moving away from Yan Danqing and from fear, his voice choked as he replied, "They're all dead, only Mole and I are left!"
The scene was truly terrifying. Yan Danqing seemed extremely merciful to the people of Daliang, but to them, the people of Northern Yan, he was ruthless and cruel, a veritable Yama!
Chi Zhanlan Ce manipulated the iron chains with his hands and feet, causing the iron spikes to pierce his flesh, from which bright red blood flowed continuously. His eyes were fixed on Yan Danqing, his phoenix eyes bloodshot, filled with murderous intent. He had actually killed all of Yan Danqing's more than a thousand guards!
However, instead of killing them all, they left two people alive and brought these two terrified individuals before him, so that he could clearly see the current predicament of the Northern Yan people in Daliang...
"To kill someone is to destroy their spirit, Yan Danqing, you've really done something!" Chi Zhanlan Ce gripped the iron chain, blood rolling down it and into the straw. His eyes were icy, and his hoarse voice spoke each word clearly, "Is this your sincerity in peace talks?"
"This is my sincerity." Yan Danqing remained leaning against the iron railing, gazing at the scene before him with an unchanging expression. "After all, I have witnessed Your Highness's sincerity in the peace talks, haven't I?"
Before today, this was the "sincerity" of Northern Yan, which he simply returned in full.
Yan Danqing straightened up, shook off the dust from his official uniform, and his calm voice echoed in the dungeon:
"By dusk tomorrow, I want to see your genuine 'sincerity' for peace talks. Otherwise, Prince Lan Ce, take all your schemes and plots to hell with you."
After saying that, he turned and walked away.
For someone like Chi Zhanlan Ce, nothing is more painful than having his schemes thwarted, or having all his schemes buried before they even began, becoming a loser with no chance of ever recovering.
Utter disgrace!
Chi Zhanlan Ce's chest heaved violently, his eyes sharp as knives, and he raised his voice: "If the court wants to negotiate peace, and I die, can you, General Yan, live? Even if you are lucky enough to live, will the Liang court still trust you from now on? If you can't go to the Huai'an Canal, can the Yan family army still win?"
"If I die, you will be a sinner of the Great Liang, and the people you protected will forever hate you. They could have had a peaceful life through peace talks..."
Yan Danqing kept walking, his voice indifferent:
"You can give it a try."
The colder Chi Zhanlan Ce's eyes became, the softer his voice grew. He shook his head, a smile playing on his lips.
"General Yan is truly loyal and brave, indeed a descendant of the hereditary Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery, Yan family. It's a pity that you are the only one left in the Yan family. If your family were still alive, perhaps even without peace talks, the Great Liang could have won?"
He stared at Yan Danqing's tall, straight back, his face full of smiles, a crazed expression on his otherworldly face. "Was it really worth it for your Yan family? You sacrificed so much for the Great Liang, and what did you get in return? The entire family wiped out? From now on, there will be no more Yan family members on this land!"
The long knife slipped through the gap in the railing and pierced Chi Zhanlan Ce's neck, instantly drawing blood. If he hadn't instinctively dodged, he would probably have died on the spot!
Chi Zhanlan Ce's heart raced, and the severed strands of his hair fluttered down onto his knees. All he could hear was the sound of his own heartbeat and the terror that had enveloped him just moments before.
"Buzz!"
The knife, stuck in the wall, was still trembling.
Yan Danqing withdrew his hand, turned his head without looking back, and strode away. A corner of his purple robe swept across the stone wall and disappeared completely.
Chi Zhanlan Ce stared at the hair falling onto his knees, pursed his lips, and his face instantly changed from gloomy to dark.
Upon entering the alley, Yan Danqing's face darkened, and his eyes turned icy.
His presence and his words pulled Yan Danqing back to memories from several years ago, watching his father die on the battlefield protecting Emperor Xianzong, the Northern Yan hooves excitedly trampling over his corpse and rushing into Daliang, leaving no trace of his body.
More than a year ago, my elder brother was killed by a thousand arrows in the Yellow River, and his remains have not yet been recovered.
It was the Yan family, whose home was trampled to pieces; the mother, steward, and servants who swore to defend the capital to the death but were hacked to death...
Above him stood the Liang Dynasty court, which insisted on peace talks; in front of him was the Northern Yan, which was eyeing him covetously; behind him were the displaced people of Liang, who were resorting to cannibalism; and below... on the land, lay the blood of his Yan family, generation after generation.
Yan Danqing's steps grew heavier and heavier, and as he stepped out of the imperial prison, he felt as if he could barely lift his head.
The road ahead...
Where?
He paused slightly. Ahead, Ye Xiren saw him come out and waved happily, her eyebrows and eyes curving, her lips curving upward, her joy overflowing.
"Yan Chunzhou, it's the fifth day of the third month!"
They lived another day, and finally left the fourth day of the third month and entered the fifth day of the third month.
Yan Danqing stood there, stunned.
After a long while, he slowly smiled, and tender buds sprouted from his heart, spreading endless warmth, warming his limbs and bones, and generating boundless strength.
He lifted his foot and walked towards her, his purpose clear. His steps became faster and lighter, until he was almost running, impatient.
As they drew closer, he pulled them into his arms, a truly warm embrace in the cold night.
Ye Xiren: "..."
She nudged Yan Danqing's waist and whispered, "Hey, isn't this a bit inappropriate?"
They're being a little too intimate!
Besides, being watched like this... how can I explain it clearly?
Yan Danqing exhaled, released her hand, pursed her lips, and pressed her fist to her lips, unable to suppress her smile: "I'm sorry, I offended you."
"I'm fine..."
Ye Xiren blinked. She had also been eager to feel Yan Danqing's warmth before to confirm her own existence. After all, it was normal to have occasional emotional outbursts while reincarnating in the cycle.
However, pointing to the dark eaves on one side, she stammered, "But my father might not be too happy."
What?
Yan Danqing was taken aback and looked over blankly.
Under one side of the eaves, Ye Pei, Liu Duoxi, Bai Chengguang, and Zheng Wenjue stood. In the darkness, their four pairs of eyes gleamed like those of four wolves.
Their eyes met.
Yan Danqing's eyes were only on Ye Xiren, and he didn't even notice that the four old men were still waiting for him to come out, wanting to discuss with him the Crimson Lan Strategy and the peace talks between the two countries. Little did he expect to witness what had just happened...
On the other side, someone moved again.
Oh, Yan Shuang is here too.
There were quite a few people. The group looked at each other, and for a moment, an extreme silence fell outside the prison. No one spoke, and there was an awkward silence.
Ye Xiren didn't know what she was feeling guilty about, but she still mustered up her courage, cleared her throat, and broke the silence: "Um..."
Ye Pei snapped out of her daze, her face darkening instantly, and she glared at her fiercely.
Ye Xiren shrank back, feeling even more guilty.
Seeing that Ye Pei was about to lose his temper, Yan Danqing blinked stiffly and forced a smile: "It just so happens that all of you are here. Now that Chizhan Lance has brought up peace talks again, I have given him a day to show his sincerity."
"But in reality, no matter what 'sincerity' he shows, we can't trust him. We need to find some clues as soon as possible. I have an idea; would you gentlemen like to try it?"
What are your thoughts?
"General Yan, please give your orders, and we will obey without question."
"Tell me quickly."
Ye Pei and the others immediately composed themselves and walked over to them, getting down to business and forgetting everything else.
Yan Shuang scoffed softly, then turned her gaze away while still holding the knife.
Her eyesight was good, and the darkness did not affect her vision. However, she could clearly see Yan Danqing's hands behind his back. He was so nervous that he was sweating, his fingers were rubbing together, and his ears were so red that they were almost bleeding. There was not a trace of composure on his face.
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Author's note: See you tomorrow!
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