Chapter 59 Refugees (Major Revision) The Twenty-First Time!
Chapter 59
Rewind time.
Before coming to the Prime Minister's residence, Yan Danqing did indeed intend to kill Chi Zhanlan Ce. The two arrived at the gate of the Imperial City Guard and were about to go in.
Ye Xiren suddenly grabbed him, frowning, "The truth is still unclear, do we really have to kill him?"
Yan Danqing's face was grim, and his voice was sharp as a knife:
“He covets you! I originally wanted to find out the truth little by little, but the court wanted to agree to the marriage, so we had to burn our bridges. With Chi Zhanlan Ce dead, the court had no other choice, which is why Jiang You revealed the hidden truth.”
The arranged marriage naturally fell through.
In the previous cycle, peace talks broke down and war was imminent. Zhao Wu learned the truth before heading to the Huai'an Canal. Although Yan Danqing's decision was crazy, it made sense.
“But what if the truth still isn’t enough to kill Chi Zhanlan Ce?” Ye Xiren raised her head, her eyes serious. “Jiang You may be stubborn, but he’s not stupid. We can’t act rashly before we know the whole truth, lest we reopen the fire.”
"When is it not possible to kill Chi Zhan Lan Ce?"
"We are no longer just ourselves. We are involved in the peace talks and caught in the life and death of the Great Liang. Every move we make will affect the entire country and millions of people. There are still countless refugees outside the Southern Capital. Whether to save them or harm them is just a matter of a single thought."
In each cycle, gaining a certain advantage is easy; going insane and killing are easy, but the hardest thing is to maintain rational restraint.
Now, with life and death at stake, rationality and restraint are what we need most.
"He has ill intentions towards you." Yan Danqing pursed her lips and tightened her grip.
Undoubtedly, this was what bothered him the most. Whenever he thought about it, he wanted to kill Chi Zhanlan Ce immediately and completely erase the words "bestowed marriage." His rationality disappeared, and all his restraint vanished.
Ye Xiren smiled, her eyes were dark and clear, her eyebrows were curved, and her eyes showed the courage to move forward after overcoming fear. Her voice was firm: "Chunzhou, he is already coming for me. I can't avoid him. I'm not afraid. So what if I die? I'm already very good at dying. At worst, I can start over."
Yan Danqing looked down at her, speechless.
In the countless cycles of the past, how many times must Ye Xiren have suffered the agony of death before he could utter the word "skilled" now?
I'm not afraid.
Not long ago, she was standing in front of the prison, frantically asking, "Is killing the emperor so difficult?" and she even went on a crazy rampage, restarting the operation again and again in her quest to kill Chi Zhanlan Ce...
Now, having overcome fear and madness, and facing the looming threat, her eyes are clear and calm, her mind is sharp, and she acts only after careful consideration.
Yan Danqing trembled as he touched Ye Xiren's hair, the ribbons tracing the strands of her hair through his fingertips. His anger gradually subsided, and his voice softened:
"Okay, whatever you say."
So, the box was filled with fresh pig heads purchased from the West Market and was then transported to the Prime Minister's residence.
Jiang You never doubted that the two men in front of him who were so confident in killing Chi Zhan Lan Ce were just bluffing him. They were such idiots that they managed to get all the truth he wanted to know.
Jiang You: "?"
He shuddered, staring blankly as he raised his head. The next moment, a powerful force seemed to surge from nowhere within his despairing body, propelling him to his feet and stumble toward the desk.
They knocked over countless things along the way, scattering books all over the ground and causing wolf-hair brushes to roll down to Ye Xiren and her companion's feet at the entrance of the study.
Jiang You didn't care at all. He pulled back the blue cloth, opened the box with trembling hands, and the contents came into view.
His pupils contracted, and his expression was a mixture of sorrow and joy, with anger at being deceived and hope and ecstasy that Chi Zhanlan Ce was not dead. His emotions fluctuated violently in an instant, to the point that his expression was ferocious and the veins on his forehead throbbed, making him look like a demon.
Clutching the box tightly, the pig's head inside now appeared "handsome" compared to the despair she had just felt, not at all ferocious or terrifying.
Jiang You suddenly raised his head, gritting his teeth:
"You actually lied to me?!"
Yan Danqing turned around, her voice calm: "If Prime Minister Jiang has not concealed anything, then we naturally will not deceive him."
Jiang You's chest heaved as he stared intently at the person in front of him.
He had truly underestimated them. Indeed, the people before him were a general who had deployed troops and killed enemies on the battlefield, and a young woman who had protected the Ye family and rescued Yan Danqing on her own. One was as sharp as a knife, and the other was gentle and composed. They cooperated perfectly and trusted each other. With the two of them combined, how could he possibly hide anything from them?
It's just a matter of time.
Thinking of this, his expression remained grim, but a warmth rose in his heart. With such a person among the younger generation of Liang, there might truly be hope...
He's getting old, after all.
At this moment, Jiang You was overwhelmed by remorse and regret, and he could hardly breathe. He almost killed these two young people!
"Wait," he called out as the two were about to leave, "Yan Danqing, only peace talks can save Daliang."
He wanted to persuade the two of them.
Yan Danqing shook his head and turned back, "No, the only way to save Great Liang is to defeat Northern Yan and drive them out. If you want a stable time for reform, you must first subdue Northern Yan and prevent them from causing trouble. Otherwise, even if we lose sovereignty and the country in the present and the peace talks are successful, Northern Yan will surely make a comeback when they see Great Liang rising in the future."
"You can use negotiations to buy time, but I will look for other ways, ways that can truly resolve the predicament."
He paused, tightened his grip on Ye Xiren's hand, and his eyes darkened. "Furthermore, Prime Minister Jiang can use any means to buy time, but a marriage decree is not an option. Why drag a woman into the affairs of the Great Liang court and try to buy time by sacrificing her?"
Ye Xiren was about to say something when Yan Danqing stopped her from speaking.
Upon hearing this, Jiang You's face also darkened, and he said, word by word, "For the sake of the Great Liang, I am willing to sacrifice anyone, including myself."
"The Great Liang has ceased hostilities, and the refugees outside the city need to be settled. Do you know how terrible it would be if they found out that the imperial court had no food to provide disaster relief?"
He wanted to obtain the grain promised by Chizhan Lance before the refugee riots. The grain from Yunlai, combined with the grain from Beiyan, would be enough for them to struggle out of despair and catch their breath...
That's a way out!
“Chizhan Lance wouldn’t provide any grain supplies; there must be a trap.” Ye Xiren pursed her lips. Grain was crucial for Northern Yan. If the two countries were locked in a stalemate, he would be crazy to give Northern Yan’s grain to Great Liang.
"But do you have any other ideas?"
Jiang You countered with a wry smile:
“If you think Chizhan Lance is treacherous, then produce the evidence. If you think this path won’t work, then find a way out… Right now, there’s no other way but to agree! Chizhan Lance is in our hands. As long as we can turn this into a real peace negotiation, we can save the Great Liang!”
Ye Xiren fell silent for a moment.
Jiang You was right. Given their current situation, she and Yan Danqing knew that peace talks were impossible, but they couldn't come up with a way to persuade them. Where would the grain come from? Should they raid Northern Yan? How would they do that? Where would the military supplies come from? And how long could those people wait?
Just then, a series of hurried footsteps sounded.
Ye Xiren looked up and froze.
It turned out to be the steward of the Prime Minister's residence, who rushed in with Ma Shan, looking anxious. Her heart sank immediately.
Something happened.
Sure enough, before they even got close, Ma Shan hurriedly reported: "General, rumors are spreading among the refugees outside Nandu that the imperial court is out of food, and the refugees have begun to riot!"
"What?!" Jiang You's expression changed drastically, incredulous. "How did they know?!"
Ye Xiren and Yan Danqing exchanged a glance, both equally alarmed.
I just learned the truth from Jiang You. How did those refugees know? The Emperor and Jiang You kept the news secret and didn't tell anyone. How could this be?!
Jiang You's vision went black, and he swayed precariously while holding onto the table.
Yan Danqing's expression turned serious, and he immediately ordered, "Ma Shan, go find Zheng Wenjue, the prefect of Nandu, and tell him to immediately lead people out to suppress the rebellion and prevent the refugees from entering Nandu."
Jiang You did not hesitate and threw out a token:
"Take the token and go to Ying Changping. Deploy the Imperial Guards, and be quick!"
Ma Shan took it and immediately turned and ran.
The situation is critical. Too many refugees have gathered outside Nandu City. If things get out of control, it will be a devastating blow to the entire city. And this is just the beginning...
"We can't let the refugees know that the imperial court has no grain."
Yan Danqing turned to look at Jiang You, his expression grave. "The court must immediately provide grain to stabilize these refugees and gain their trust in the Liang Dynasty. Otherwise, unless we kill them all, they will spread the news throughout Liang and cause even greater unrest."
Jiang You steadied himself, took a deep breath, and stepped outside, his voice calm: "I will go see the Emperor now and immediately squeeze out some grain from Nandu to temporarily support and appease the refugees."
He walked to the door, then stopped, looked at the two of them, his face grave, and said, word by word:
"Daliang desperately needs food and cannot withstand any more turmoil. Yan Danqing, Ye Xiren, we must negotiate. There is no other choice. No one can stop us until we find an effective solution!"
After squeezing out a batch of grain, the entire Southern Capital will be in dire straits. Once the grain supply cannot be replenished, the news that the imperial court is running out of food will soon spread like wildfire.
The refugees, though hungry, could remain temporarily at ease, and the people of Nandu City accepted the high prices of grain because they all knew that the imperial court was in peace talks and was just waiting to completely "shake hands and make peace" with Northern Yan so that it could free up resources to provide disaster relief and allow them to survive.
If they are told that there will be more fighting and that there is no food available, what will these people do when they have no way to survive? They are citizens of Liang, but they need to live first!
Jiang You's eyes were resolute as he hurriedly left.
Ye Xiren looked at Yan Danqing, somewhat flustered: "How did the refugees suddenly find out the news? Who leaked it? Weren't His Majesty and Prime Minister Jiang keeping it from everyone? How could this be..."
She gripped her sleeves tightly, a sense of unease rising within her as she thought of the refugee uprising outside the city. She bit her lip: "Is peace talks really the only way out?"
I originally wanted to buy some time and come up with a solution.
But the refugees suddenly rioted, immediately blocking their way, leaving them no time to maneuver!
Death looms, and crisis returns.
Yan Danqing's eyes were sharp and his voice was cold: "Yes, this is too much of a coincidence. It's as if someone is trying to force us into negotiations, without giving us any time at all."
Red cup orchid strategy.
It was he who colluded with Zhang Yuanmou to steal military supplies. Zhang, the councilor, was a confidant of Jiang and You, and held a high position of power. Even if Jiang and You deliberately concealed it, he probably still knew a lot of secrets.
It's worth noting that the exchange conditions proposed by Chi Zhanlan Ce this time included food supplies, which really hit the nail on the head!
"But wasn't he imprisoned in the imperial prison? All his men were killed, so how did he manage to get the news out?" Ye Xiren couldn't understand.
Everything seemed normal when she went to the city gate earlier today, but in just one night, it sparked a riot among the displaced people...
"Let's go to the imperial prison."
Yan Danqing lifted his foot and walked away.
Ye Xiren lifted her skirt and followed him, the two hurrying towards the imperial prison.
-
At the same time, the imperial prison
"Your Highness, your injuries..." Ayou looked at the wounds all over Chizhan Lance's body with a worried expression, and was very anxious.
Mole couldn't help but curse, "What's wrong with these useless Liang people? Weren't they supposed to be negotiating peace? Why haven't they released His Highness yet? Why are they locking him up with this kind of thing..."
His face was filled with hatred, and he gritted his teeth:
"In the future, I will make sure these people of Liang suffer a terrible death!"
Chi Zhanlan Ce remained calm, moving his wrist and ignoring the spilled blood. He could only see the top of the dungeon when he looked up, not the sky, so he naturally didn't know the time.
However, he smiled, his eyes cold: "Don't worry, I won't be locked up for long. They will take me out, and take me out respectfully."
The outside door was kicked open.
Chi Zhanlan Ce looked up and saw Yan Danqing barging in with Ye Xiren, a long spear pressed against his neck, his eyes as cold as knives, speaking each word with deliberate sarcasm:
"You did this?"
"What?" Chi Zhanlan Ce looked blank and confused. "What do you mean I did it? I was imprisoned in this imperial prison by General Yan, in complete darkness. How would I know anything?"
He moved his hands and feet, but they were all bound by iron chains. His eyes looked very innocent, as if he had been wronged and was pretending to be aggrieved.
Yan Danqing looked at him and confirmed it.
It was him.
The spear pressed down, blood gushing from Yan Danqing's neck. Yan Danqing's eyes grew colder, but Chi Zhanlan Ce neither dodged nor flinched. He looked up at Yan Danqing, his eyes calm and unwavering, a smile even playing on his lips.
Can we kill him?
No, the death of Chizhan Lanze would mean the breakdown of peace talks. The already rioting refugees would probably be unable to be suppressed any longer. They have not yet found a way to survive, and the Crown Prince of Northern Yan cannot die.
As for blocking the news?
Yan Danqing had no doubt that if Chizhan Lance Pass could make the refugees outside aware of the imperial court's food shortage, then if he died here, the entire Great Liang and Northern Yan would probably know!
Even though they knew he was causing trouble, they still had to spare his life, which made them extremely angry.
Yan Danqing's arms trembled, his lips pressed into a thin line, but he didn't suppress them. His hand holding the red-tasseled spear trembled more and more with anger, and the red tassel swayed in the candlelight.
Are you going to kill me?
Chi Zhanlan Ce opened his arms and laughed:
"Does your Great Liang court allow me to be killed?"
The veins on the back of Yan Danqing's hand throbbed.
At this moment, Ye Xiren reached out her hand, her slender fingers grasping his hard hand, and slowly applied force. Yan Danqing was startled, and the red-tasseled spear in his hand pierced Chi Zhanlan Ce's neck with her force.
Then, expressionless, she drew her red-tasseled spear.
He plunged it in again, pulled it out, and stabbed it in again—in the neck and chest. To everyone's disbelief, he stabbed every painful spot on Chi Zhanlan Ce's body.
Finally, her eyes hardened, and she gripped Yan Danqing's hand, aiming it at Chi Zhanlan Ce's chest with all her might. The red-tasseled spear pierced through his chest, and blood splattered onto his face.
Moler and Ayou were furious, but Ye Xiren and the other person were outside the prison gate. They couldn't stop it at all and could only watch helplessly as their Crown Prince was tortured to death right before their eyes.
Utter disgrace!
Chi Zhanlan Ce stared intently at Ye Xiren, his eyes filled with shock, doubt, and disbelief.
Has she gone mad? She actually killed him...
Chi Zhanlan Ce opened his mouth, but his neck was pierced, and he could not make a sound. He could only convulse and fall down, his eyes fixed on Ye Xiren, remembering this woman who was already "etched in his heart" even more firmly.
For the first time, Ye Xiren looked back at him seriously, without flinching or avoiding him, fearless and undaunted.
Chizhan Lance is dead.
Yan Danqing was somewhat stunned, still holding the red-tasseled spear in his hand, blood dripping down. He looked at Ye Xiren in surprise, his eyes filled with confusion, but his mind was already thinking about how to deal with the crisis after Chi Zhanlan Ce's death...
Ye Xiren turned around, her face stained with blood, and smiled at him, her voice soft:
It's the sixth day of the third lunar month.
Yan Danqing was taken aback.
Then, he suddenly realized.
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Author's note: See you tomorrow!
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