Chapter 17: Defending the Home for the Eighth Time!
Chapter 17
Imperial City Guard, Imperial Prison.
The dungeon was pitch black, but by the faint light from the narrow entrance, one could vaguely see a man sitting inside, his white undergarment stained with blood, his hands and feet bound by chains.
He slowly opened his eyes and reached out his hand.
The man looked down and saw nothing at hand. After waiting for a while, there was still no movement.
He looked up at the dungeon entrance again. The candlelight inside the passage flickered in the wind, but no one appeared. The passage was eerily quiet.
Time passed second by second, but no jailer came.
【six】
The man frowned instantly.
Knock knock.
Footsteps sounded, and two people hurried in. The man's ears twitched, and he looked up. A familiar figure appeared, and the person behind him fawned over the newcomer, carrying a lantern as they approached step by step.
The lamp was slightly raised, revealing the man's face, which was clearly Lu Qian, the Imperial Envoy!
Lu Qian looked the person locked up inside up and down, and sneered: "We meet again, General Yan."
Yan Danqing looked up, glanced at him without any emotion, and then calmly looked away, as if he had never taken him seriously, his expression cold and mocking.
Lu Qian's expression instantly turned ugly.
He suddenly raised his hand, pressing the knife in his right hand against the person inside, his face contorted with rage, gritting his teeth: "I hate the way you look, Yan Danqing, you're going to die today!"
Upon hearing the word "today," Yan Danqing's slightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed, and he finally spoke, his voice hoarse and strained after a long silence:
"You said that the day before yesterday."
Two mornings ago, this man also pointed a knife at him, his face contorted with rage, and vowed: "You will be dead in three days."
Lu Qian sneered, his face full of mockery: "General Yan, you have devoted yourself to the Great Liang, but you will die at the hands of the people of Great Liang in the end. It's really laughable."
Yan Danqing remained unperturbed, her eyes expressionless.
"Let's see if you'll still be this fearless gentleman when you're beheaded!" Lu Qian turned around angrily, carrying the lantern, and hurriedly left.
【seven】
Then, he stared at the word and frowned again.
-
The executioner at Caishikou raised his hands, spitting out a mouthful of strong liquor. The executioner's blade flashed coldly and fell heavily. A sharp pain struck, blood splattered, and the scene shifted again to the long blade in the hands of the Imperial City Commander. His neck struck the blade, blood flowing freely...
Ye Xiren suddenly sat up, clutching her neck, her breathing rapid and her eyes filled with terror.
She's back!
"Miss?" Xuechan rushed in, her face full of worry. "Did you have another nightmare?"
Ye Xiren took a deep breath and hurriedly got out of bed. With a gloomy face, she said in an experienced manner, "Quickly, get me dressed and prepare the car."
The troubles of the past two days have been handled quite skillfully; the most difficult one is the third day of the third lunar month. Fortunately, she returned early and learned a lot of information, so there's always a way...
Xuechan took the clothes and helped her put them on, somewhat puzzled:
"Why are you preparing the carriage again today, young lady? The other day, when the eldest young master took the imperial examination, you prepared the carriage early in the morning to go out. Is there nothing else going on today?"
Ye Xiren's pupils contracted, her expression changed drastically, and she looked at Xue Chan in disbelief. She opened her mouth, but managed to utter a difficult sentence: "What...what did you just say?"
Xuechan was stunned: "Huh?"
Ye Xiren grabbed her wrist, her blood rushing to her head, her mind going blank, her voice trembling: "Xuechan, what's the date today?"
Although Xuechan was confused, she still answered honestly, "The third day of the third month."
What's wrong with the girl these past two days?
The first thing I ask every morning is the date. Am I still half asleep?
Upon hearing this, Ye Xiren's body went limp, and she suddenly lost all strength. She sat back down on the bed, her body trembling uncontrollably, her face filled with fear and horror.
March 3rd!
She returned to the third day of the third lunar month, no longer the first day of the third lunar month!
"Miss?" Xuechan exclaimed anxiously, "What's wrong with you, Miss? Someone, quickly go and fetch a doctor!"
Ye Xiren's face turned pale, her body swayed unsteadily, and she sank into her own world, murmuring, "March 3rd, how can today be March 3rd?"
Why did we return to the third day of the third lunar month?
It's always the first day of the third lunar month before, only today is different. Could it be... this is the last time I'll be reborn?
Upon realizing this answer, Ye Xiren panicked, her face turned ashen, and her vision blurred. She barely managed to steady herself by bracing herself against the bed to avoid collapsing.
"That's right. Even if it's the Bodhisattva's blessing, he wouldn't give me one chance after another. Seven rebirths, is that all the chances that God has given me?" Ye Xiren murmured.
Her fearlessness stemmed from the belief that she could go back and start over, even if she made a mistake, she would still have a chance.
But what if this is the last time...?
Ye Xiren's eyes were filled with terror, and she shuddered.
If Ye Pei attends court today, his entire family will be executed, and he will be truly dead. She will have no chance to save her family. But if Ye Pei is not allowed to attend court, is there any way to save the Great Liang?
On one side, families are destroyed; on the other, the nation is destroyed.
Ignoring Xuechan's anxious voice, Ye Xiren pulled out a cloak, hugged it to her arms, and hurriedly ran out. It was just as Ye Pei was about to go to court.
"Xixi?" Ye Pei asked, somewhat worried when he saw her coming over, panting.
Ye Xiren stepped into the front yard and asked softly, "Father, do we really have to go today? Is there no other way?"
Ye Pei paused, and after a moment, he tugged at the corner of his mouth: "I have a reason to go, and it cannot be changed. Xixi, if anything happens, you should leave Nandu as soon as possible."
They had already started talking about it on the second day of the third lunar month last year.
Ye Xiren was certain he was going to take the blame and couldn't stop him. She tried to stop him by poisoning him on the morning of the third day of the third lunar month, but what happened afterward was still vivid in her mind.
Ye Xiren's eyes were red, and she asked again:
"The evidence will arrive tomorrow. Is there really no way to delay it even by one more day? Even if you don't plead guilty and just stay in jail to buy time... do you really have to risk your life for it?"
This might be the last time; if I die, I'm really dead.
"This is our plan." Ye Pei no longer hid it from her, and smiled bitterly. "Today at court, I will raise the military rations case and let them investigate. In the end, they will inevitably find me. The only people who can take action against the military rations and hide it for so long are me and the Minister of War. He will not confess, so only I can do it."
"At that time, I will likely be imprisoned in the Dali Temple and interrogated by your Uncle Bai. We have already discussed it, and he will work with Zheng Wenjue and others to stall for time..."
After a pause, Ye Pei still chose to tell the truth: "This is the best-case scenario, but if Northern Yan presses too hard and the Emperor refuses to believe us, General Yan will still die... In that case, I will plead guilty if necessary."
Ye Xiren's eyes reddened.
Having had two previous experiences, she knew perfectly well that this was the worst-case scenario. They couldn't hold out for even a day; her father would die, and the entire Ye family would be wiped out.
Even though Ye Pei had already guessed the outcome, he still went ahead without hesitation.
With tears in her eyes, Ye Xiren said softly, "Okay, then I'll see you off."
Ye Pei sighed softly, and with a reluctant expression, he patted Ye Xiren's head. The two walked side by side toward the gate, and for a moment, it was incredibly quiet.
Before dawn, a night wind blew by, bringing a chill.
Ye Xiren's mind gradually cleared, and she turned her head to ask, "Chi Zhanlan's plan is so meticulous, doesn't he know that if General Yan is dead, he can't live either?"
“If General Yan were to die, the Crown Prince of Northern Yan would surely turn against him, and there would be no possibility of peace talks. At that time, Northern Yan would be powerful, and many opportunists in the court would probably not dare to kill him. This man personally went to the Southern Capital and put himself in the game... It is these kinds of risks that made countless officials believe that he really wanted to negotiate peace.” Ye Pei couldn’t help but smile bitterly. “In the end, it is very likely that he will really cause General Yan to die, while he himself will live.”
Ye Xiren thought of the news she heard "last night" and truly felt that everything was like a dream, something she couldn't unravel and couldn't understand.
"Where is General Yan imprisoned?" Ye Xiren asked again.
"Inside Lu Qian's Imperial City Guard, in the Imperial Prison." Ye Pei sighed again. "The Imperial City Guard is controlled by Zhang Yuanmou, the Councilor, and Lu Qian. Our people can't even get a glimpse of him."
Ye Xiren's heart sank.
Yan Danqing was in Lu Qian's hands, but he didn't kill him. Clearly, he wanted to use the imperial court to behead him, completely crush the Yan family army, and make it easier for Northern Yan to win.
This Crimson-Clad Lance is truly terrifying!
Ye Xiren escorted Ye Pei to the entrance of the Ye residence.
Ye Pei stopped and turned to look at her. "That's enough, Xixi. Staying alive is more important than anything else. Don't be reckless. Take your mother and the others with you today. Your brother is impulsive; you need to stop him..."
He paused, then gave a final word of advice: "Take care of yourself."
After saying that, Ye Pei exhaled and strode out of the Ye family's door. Outside the door, a groom was waiting for him with a horse. Ye Pei was dressed in a vermilion court robe, with a scarlet silk robe, a red skirt, and a scholar's cap. His back was straight as he walked towards the tall horse, whose front hooves moved slightly.
Heaven has forsaken my Great Liang!
Ye Xiren seemed to hear Ye Pei's desperate roar again, and her eyes grew redder and redder.
If Ye Pei goes, her entire family will be executed. This is the last time, but she won't stop her. General Yan is a stranger, and they shouldn't sacrifice their lives for a stranger.
But if Dad doesn't go, even more people will die.
Ye Pei walked to the side of the horse. In the darkness, he suddenly turned around, his crimson court robes fluttering, his wide sleeves spreading out to both sides. He clasped his hands together in front of him, bowed deeply towards the Ye family residence.
If you are worthy of your country, you will be unworthy of your family.
Ye Pei straightened up, flicked his sleeves, and nimbly mounted his horse. He let the groom lead him into the darkness, and the sound of hooves gradually faded away until he disappeared from sight.
Ye Pei was the mountain that Ye Xiren had relied on since childhood, and as an official, he was also a mountain in the Great Liang Dynasty. Even when the country was on the verge of collapse, there were still people willing to be pillars of support, even if it meant trying to stop a chariot with their bare hands or being like moths to a flame.
Ye Xiren turned around to look.
Suddenly, she discovered that her mother was still there deep in the front courtyard corridor, standing behind a vermilion pillar with tears streaming down her face, but she did not say anything to stop him. Those closest to him knew best what he was going to do, and silence was support.
Ye Xiren calmly withdrew her gaze, opened the black cloak in her hand and put it on, tied the rope around her neck, covered half of her face with the hood of the cloak, and resolutely left the Ye residence with hurried steps.
Her father has his own things to do.
She has it too.
Her father wanted to protect the country, so she guarded the home.
A note from the author:
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