Chapter 26 The incinerator: The remains of hundreds of children were burned to ashes in the incinerator...
The stench of blood lingered in Chen Liangyu's nostrils, his palms were sweating, and he panicked, running for his life.
The forest was so lush that even the moonlight seemed eerie.
There were people chasing them.
The ghostly figure darted about at lightning speed, its location impossible to discern, leaving afterimages flitting past the treetops.
The method used was exactly the same as the one used to assassinate Emperor Xuanyuan that day.
During the fight, Zhai Ji injured his calf. In a moment of desperation, he shielded her from the man-monkey's claws, but his right shoulder was torn apart, leaving it a bloody mess.
If Zhai Ji hadn't stepped in to block it, her entire face would probably have been torn off.
Chen Liangyu supported him, taking his weight on her back. She had already fought five or six rounds with the group of monkeys and was nearly exhausted. She could even hear her heart pounding.
First, we need to find a way to stop Zhai Ji's bleeding. Half of his white shirt was already stained red with blood, and Zhai Ji's lips were very pale. He was breathing heavily.
Chen Liangyu helped him and hid behind a huge natural rock screen. There was a cave built of rocks from the hillside, which looked rather unstable.
But there's nowhere else to hide right now.
Zhai Ji said, "Don't worry about me. The people chasing us are after our lives. Leave me here, and you can make your way out on your own."
Chen Liangyu tore off a relatively clean piece of cloth from her own body and used it to make a simple bandage. "I have to take you with me."
Zhai Ji said, "If you take me with you, you won't be able to leave. Remember to come back and collect my body. If you have any conscience left, then please... take me home."
Seemingly feeling that his death was too ignominious, he was filled with resentment, saying, "Chen Liangyu, meeting you was truly unlucky."
"Those who reap what they sow will not live," Chen Liangyu said.
Even if he brought this upon himself, we still can't just leave him in this deep mountain forest to be eaten by wild beasts. "If the hostage dies, the two countries will go to war, which will bring disaster to the people of our Great Lin. You are not worth the suffering of our people."
"If you don't abandon me, you'll all die here."
Chen Liangyu threw Zhai Ji to the ground, untied Zhai Ji's belt and pulled him out like pulling silk threads. Zhai Ji's tattered clothes were scattered in a ball, hanging on his body with barely any clothes covering him.
His arms felt like they weighed a ton; he tried to pull his clothes tighter, but could barely lift them. He snapped, "Don't take advantage of me like that!"
Chen Liangyu, preoccupied with his own business, grabbed the man, hoisted him onto his back, and secured him with the belt he had taken from the man's body.
She dared not leave Zhai Ji alone in this not-so-hidden cave. If they were discovered by their pursuers, he would be powerless to fight back and would only be waiting to die.
"Then let's die together."
The person on his back gave a weak laugh.
"What are you laughing at?"
"It's laughable that we, former sworn enemies, who once wished to kill each other, are now able to live and die together."
But Chen Liangyu continued, "If you die, I will die with you in this desolate mountain forest. It will be a life for a life. The lives of the Marquis of Xuanping are still valuable to your Northern Yong. If His Majesty can give some explanation to Northern Yong, then there is still room for negotiation, and war will not break out again."
"I knew it... you're not that kind-hearted."
After a chaotic search, the mountains and forests returned to tranquility.
Chen Liangyu's steps were heavy; she was also injured, and she walked forward with bloody footprints with every step.
Following the faint moonlight filtering through the gaps in the branches and leaves, Chen Liangyu struggled to identify the herbs and finally managed to pick some hemostatic herbs to use on Zhai Ji.
As dawn broke, they finally found their way to the edge of the forest, and what they saw was a vast expanse of green seedlings.
Where there is land, there are farmers.
She looked out along the narrow paths between the fields and saw a village not far away.
Before she exhausted her last bit of strength, she finally knocked on a door.
A foul odor entered Chen Liangyu's nostrils. He wrinkled his nose, but he didn't even have the strength to raise his hand to fan himself.
Zhai Ji opened his eyes, his breath weak: "Don't you think this place looks familiar?"
The door creaked open.
Chen Liangyu carried the crooked person on his back and spun around in place. Looking into the doorway, he saw a row of low mud walls.
Pigsty
Two door gods were drinking from wine jars. "Gentlemen, you're back."
Zhai Ji exhaled sharply and fainted on her back.
She and Zhai Ji were thrown into the woodshed, where there was a makeshift bed made of wooden stakes and planks.
Pulling aside Zhai Ji's thin shirt, she examined his injuries. The bandage from the previous night had stuck to his flesh and blood, so she had to cut it open with scissors. She also needed some hemostatic medicine, as the few herbs she carried were clearly not enough.
She got up, intending to ask the bandits for something through the crack in the door. Since these people had cleaned out the woodshed for them, it must be because they were worried about the filth in the chicken coop and pigsty, fearing that someone might get an infection from their wound and die. So, it shouldn't be difficult to ask them for some medicine to keep them alive.
The woodshed door was locked from the outside. As soon as she peeked through the crack, she saw a pretty young girl carrying a hand-woven basket enter the farm.
The two door gods called her "A-Yin".
The doorman unlocked the door and let A-Yin in. Sure enough, the hand-woven basket contained the scissors, hemostatic medicine, and clean gauze she had asked for.
A-Yin filled a basin with cool water, soaked a piece of linen cloth, wrung it out until it was half dry, and started cleaning the dirt off Zhai Ji's face, from his forehead to his nose and cheeks.
"Clean your wound first, your face won't die from being dirty," Chen Liangyu said.
A Yin ignored him, wiped Zhai Ji's face clean, and then looked at the face, pinching his earlobe and cheek as if playing with it. "He's quite good-looking."
"He's so handsome it's almost unbelievable!"
Chen Liangyu was astonished to find that someone could actually be infatuated with Zhai Ji.
Chen Liangyu picked up the scissors from the hand-woven basket and was about to cut the piece of cloth stuck to his shoulder, but A Yin thought her movements were too rough and took the scissors away, instead focusing on her work.
Zhai Ji's skin was being pulled and ripped, and he winced in pain while unconscious, which made A Yin's movements much gentler.
Chen Liangyu was overjoyed, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon, and a plan immediately came to mind.
“Ah Yin, he is down on his luck and injured. Take care of him and save his life. Once he recovers, he can be your husband.”
Ayin was overjoyed, "Really?"
"It's true, that's how it's written in martial arts stories."
After coaxing A-Yin into taking care of Zhai Ji's injuries without complaint, she found a pile of firewood to close her eyes and quickly fell into a deep sleep.
Through a combination of deception and trickery, Ah Yin actually believed her lies. He changed her dressings every morning and evening, and brought her food and water without any hesitation.
The next day, she came humming a little tune, carrying a clean linen outfit that smelled faintly of soapberry.
Zhai Ji felt a chill on his body and struggled to open his eyelids. What came into view was a woman with delicate features who was tearing off his thin shirt, which was stained with mud and blood, and was reaching out to undo his belt.
Zhai Ji practically jumped up, ignoring the pain in his wound.
Chen Liangyu remained seated on the woodpile, watching the scene with a wicked smile on his face.
Seeing a neatly folded pile of clothes at the foot of the bed, Zhai Ji finally released his arms, which he had been holding to his chest to cover himself up. "No need to trouble yourself. This kind of thing, I... can do it myself."
Ah Yin was a little disappointed, but he didn't say anything. He went out and locked the woodshed door, and still delivered herbs and ointments twice a day.
He never saw her again after Zhai Ji's wound scabbed over.
When she returned, the monkey-man who had chased Chen Liangyu and Zhai Ji that day appeared at the farm and once again tried to kill them.
Chen Liangyu recognized the leader; he was hooded and draped in a cloak, his eyes gleaming with menace. During their escape through the mountains, this man had given the order to the monkey-man he controlled: "Kill them both!"
The group of monkeys chased them to a spot not far from the rock where they were hiding, but then retreated in fright.
Chen Liangyu and Zhai Ji exchanged a glance, understanding each other's meaning.
There are two groups of people in Bogong Village. One group is Lin Jianshu's gang, who captured them but did not kill them, and their purpose is still unknown. The other group is led by this hooded man, who came to take their lives.
The two gatekeepers fought hard to subdue the monkey and desperately guarded the door of the woodshed, exchanging blows with the monkey in defense.
One of them shouted at the hooded man, "Jin Suga, if these two die, you can't afford the consequences! Tell them to stop!"
Another person immediately added, "She's Marshal Chen's daughter. Now that Marshal Chen is here, the chief will definitely give you an explanation!"
Su Ren's pupils constricted sharply, his eyes widening in fury. "Confess? Chen Yuanqing and the Boss were fellow disciples, and they turned against each other because of the dog emperor. You expect him to give us justice? For so many years, he has aided and abetted the wicked, helping the dog emperor consolidate his power. Has he ever thought of us even once? Isn't the scar on the Boss's face enough to wake you up? Has he ever shown any mercy to his former fellow disciples? Now he is a king, and we are bandits. The difference between us is like heaven and earth. Why would he care about our justice?"
The two door gods were unable to withstand the attack, and the door of the woodshed suddenly shattered and fell to the ground, breaking into several pieces.
The human and the monkey trapped Chen Liangyu and Zhai Ji in the cramped woodshed.
A-Yin arrived, breathless, and grabbed Suga Ren's arm with both hands, panting, "Uncle Suga, stop! We're out of medicine, and there are soldiers all down the mountain. The medicine can't be transported up. If we don't stop, they'll die! Uncle Suga!"
Suga Jin was unwilling to let the opportunity to kill them slip away, but after some persuasion from Ayanokouji, he actually had some reservations and ordered the monkeys to stop their attack.
Chen Liangyu pulled Zhai Ji behind her to shield him, then looked at Su Ren and asked, "How exactly did they become like this? What does it have to do with my father?"
Suga Jin sneered, his eyes filled with boundless hatred.
"How do you think Xie Lin ascended the throne? During the Rebellion of the Five Princes, when he failed to seize the throne quickly, he ordered his lackey Xun Xian to find him a medicine and a book of treacherous techniques from a medicine manor in Liangxi City. He then captured hundreds of children to test them. Those who couldn't withstand the torture died, so they were burned. The survivors were turned into monsters that could only obey orders and kill, and they assassinated the Prince of Fengde, who was above him. Only then did the throne fall into his hands! I fought for him on the front lines, but my children were captured and tortured to death by him. Tell me, where is the justice in this world?"
"In the incinerator, the remains of hundreds of children were burned to ashes! Commander Lin rushed to rescue them, but Chen Yuanqing blocked his way and killed him. Now his descendants are using the name of justice to strangle us bandits. Tell me, if we could have a peaceful meal and a place to live, who would want to hide in these deep mountains and forests as bandits? If there were truly justice in this world, would Xie Lin, a coward, have become the ruler of this land?"
Zhai Ji shrank behind Chen Liangyu, grabbing her by the pigtail, "Your Zhonglin really does... have the demeanor of a great power."
After saying that, he realized that his life was still in someone else's hands, and quickly shut his mouth.
"Step back!"
When Suga gave the order, the monkeys obediently retreated, leaping and bounding away, disappearing without a trace.
Suga Jin lowered his hood and rubbed the hilt of his long sword in his palm, making a creaking sound.
He planned to kill her and Zhai Ji himself.
Chen Liangyu was on high alert. "Come on then, let's see if you have the ability to kill me."
"Jian Jin, stop!"
Lin Jianshu strode over from the doorway. Unlike the last time he saw him, the look in his eyes when he looked at Chen Liangyu was no longer kind; it seemed to reveal disappointment.
There was another person trailing behind him.
The man walked forward step by step, his thin body shivering beneath his cloak.
"Second Brother?"
It's Chen Luan. The second brother that Uncle Yan brought back and raised in the secondary residence.
What did Father send him here for? He's so weak he can barely kill a chicken, how can you expect him to kill bandits?
“I told you long ago that Chen Yuanqing wouldn’t come.”
Suga Ren sneered, his broad, dark hand pressing down on Chen Luan's weak shoulder. With a forceful movement, Chen Luan's brows and eyes contorted in pain. He bent over and tried to lower his body, but the iron hand seemed welded to his shoulder, showing no intention of removing it. It was as if one could hear the sound of joints dislocating.
"Kid, Chen Yuanqing sent you here to die, and you actually dared to come."
"I want to...save my sister!" Despite the excruciating pain, beads of sweat rolled down Chen Luan's face.
"Fine, you can die here with her."
"Jianren," Lin Jianshu called out to stop him.
Suga Jin ignored him until Ayano ran in from outside the farm again, saying, "Uncle Suga, we have medicinal herbs. He brought a lot of them, and they're of better quality than the ones we're using."
Suga Ren's expression relaxed slightly. He grabbed Chen Luan's drooping shoulder with his large hand and lifted him up sharply, forcing Chen Luan to stand upright.
Lin Jianshu's meaningful gaze shifted from Chen Liangyu's face to Zhai Ji.
Zhai Ji felt a chill run down his spine and tugged at Chen Liangyu, saying, "You're probably no match for this person. If you can't beat him, just admit defeat."
"You... brother and sister, have very similar temperaments."
Lin Jianshu stared blankly at Chen Luan for a moment, and then said this.
“You look a lot like my father.”
Chen Liangyu had a vague sense of unease, fearing that Lin Jianshu wanted to use her to force Chen Yuanqing to come and talk about the events of twenty years ago. However, Chen Yuanqing did not come as he wished.
He already knew that the truth of this matter would never come to light.
Zhai Ji grumbled again from behind, "I made you admit defeat, not that you should acknowledge your father."
Nobody paid him any attention.
Lin Jianshu pulled Chen Luan's arm, which had been dislocated by Jian Ren, and put it back in place with a "snap".
His gaze lingered on Chen Luan's face for a moment, then he reached out and put his hand down, finally just patting his shoulder lightly before leaving with Suga Ren.
How could a sovereign be a tyrant who harms his people? If a ruler loses virtue and his authority fails to command respect, he will be condemned by the people, and the world will immediately be plunged into chaos.
The chaos of the Five Kings, beset by internal and external troubles, terrified them all.
Therefore, the only option is to keep this matter a secret from the general public, and silently wait for those who know the truth to die. Then, this unbearable past will eventually be buried in the dust of history.
"General Lin!"
Lin Jianshu did not stop.
Only two gatekeepers and A-Yin remained at the farm, guarding her and Zhai Ji. Oh no, now Chen Luan has joined them.
The three huddled in the doorless woodshed, Chen Liangyu's mind filled with unease. "Originally, it was just me, but now two more have joined in. From now on, my eldest brother is the only heir in the family. If my sister-in-law doesn't get pregnant, well, the family line will end!"
Chen Liangyu asked, "What brings you here?"
Chen Luan said, "My father gave me a letter and told me to present it to the bandit leader in person."
"What did the letter say?"
"have no idea."
What was General Lin's reaction after reading the letter?
"The bandit leader didn't read the letter."
"Didn't you see it?"
Chen Luan nodded. "He just kept looking at me, looking like he was about to laugh and cry at the same time, I don't know why."
Did he ask you anything?
Chen Luan shook his head: "They brought me here without asking me anything." As he spoke, he unconsciously moved his shoulder and rubbed it a few times; there was no lingering pain there.
The woodshed fell silent.
Chen Liangyu picked up a piece of firewood from the ground and started writing and drawing on it.
If one could have a stable meal and a place to live, who would want to hide in these deep mountains and forests and become a bandit?
Suga's words were a wake-up call for her.
“Most of the small bandit dens we previously wiped out were displaced people who had lost their land,” Chen Liangyu said as he drew. “Xiling is mostly barren mountains, but the places we escaped to had arable land.”
The vast farmland at the edge of the mountains and forests was filled with plump, green seedlings.
Zhai Ji immediately understood her meaning and exclaimed excitedly, "Reclaiming wasteland? Even if we drive the bandits back now, they still won't have a livelihood. They'll just go back to being bandits again, and it will be an endless cycle."
Chen Liangyu said, "What if we give them land? Whoever cultivates the land owns it, so they can make a living. The Crown Prince is implementing a new tax system, and newly cultivated land will also be taxed, no, exempted for three years, just like the common people..."
Zhai Ji added, "Then the imperial court will lend them seeds for the first year without charging interest. After one year, they will repay the imperial court's grain and seeds, have land to cultivate, and have surplus grain in two or three years."
He spoke with great enthusiasm, appearing even more excited than Chen Liangyu.
Chen Liangyu said, "Why are you so agitated? The land you cultivate won't belong to your Beiyong."
Zhai Ji scoffed at her and sat back down on his bed. "When two countries are at war, grudges don't matter as much as those of ordinary people. As long as the people have food to eat, I'm happy."
Author's note: I'll be posting half a chapter now, and there will be a second update today.
The dungeon won't be too long. Just a little spoiler: Jiang Ning will come back in about two or three chapters and be all grown up!
In other words, the romantic storyline is about to develop.
Thank you for reading this far!
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