Chapter 119 Epilogue (Part 4) The Yong'an Marquis's Mansion is Full of Loyalty...
Chapter 119
He Hansheng is already on his way back to the capital.
Accompanying him back was Zhao Jingyi, a prince of a different surname who had been causing trouble in Xiaoxiang. He brought his army with him to the north to defend the emperor.
Zhao Jingyi was a man of strong emotions. At that time, his defeat was inevitable. He was captured alive by He Hansheng. He casually threw away his weapon, saying that the victor is king and the loser is villain. He was willing to accept defeat and hoped that He Hansheng could give him a quick death after fighting for half a year. He did not want to be a prisoner of war without dignity, and he did not want to go to the capital to face that dog emperor Li Bo.
At that time, He Hansheng had already received an urgent report from Huadu. He told Zhao Jingyi that he would neither kill nor capture him, but would let him ride on horseback with honor and return to Huadu with him to serve the emperor.
Zhao Jingyi spat and said, "What a load of crap, King!" He couldn't wait for the throne to be passed to someone else. The people in his fiefdom were being driven to their deaths by heavy taxes and those greedy, corrupt officials.
He Hansheng said, "It's not internal strife, it's an invasion by foreign invaders. The Great Dan's forces have already reached Danyu Pass."
Zhao Jingyi stood up abruptly with a "joking" expression and said, "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go get that damn Dan!"
Then, the two teams, who had been fighting each other for more than half a year, shook hands and made peace happily, and headed north together.
During the journey, He Hansheng received two more urgent reports: Li Bo had been killed and Danyu Pass had been successfully defended.
Shen Suining was guarding Danyu Pass. He Hansheng knew this, and when he received the news, he was more anxious than anyone else, but he had to stabilize the current situation.
Shen Yan was much calmer than him. He said that it was important to distinguish between matters of national importance and personal feelings. If they were to lose this battle due to foreign invasion, the south would be in chaos, and even more people would be displaced. Weren't they also someone's children, someone's parents, someone's wives and husbands?
He Hansheng said he understood. Regardless of whether Danyu Pass could be defended or not, he would be proud to have such a wife.
After the news of the successful defense of the pass came, He Hansheng breathed a sigh of relief. Although he had no news of Shen Suining for the time being, at least the rear of Dacheng was secured. Without the support of the army, Tuoba Dian could not hold his ground in the capital. What He Hansheng was most worried about now was whether Tuoba Dian would take revenge on the people in the city.
Because of the tense situation, He Hansheng was not in a very good mood on the way back. He led the vanguard back first, and Zhao Jingyi accompanied him.
Zhao Jingyi talks a lot.
A moment later, I asked him, "Hey, have you ever seen any Dan people? I heard they're all unkempt, dark-skinned, and strong, and they can carry Central Plains people like they're chicks. Damn it!"
A moment later, he said, "I haven't been to Huadu for hundreds of years. The last time I was in the capital was the last time. I wonder how much the capital has changed?"
A moment later, he said, "Hey He Hansheng, you look nothing like your dad. My old man said your dad is quite dark-skinned too."
When he asked, "I heard your wife is also very good at fighting, is that true?" He Hansheng finally couldn't take it anymore and replied, "Shut up."
Zhao Jingyi exclaimed "Oh!" and teased him, "Finally decided to speak? Do you know that your expression on the way here was even worse than when you suffered a defeat? Soldiers are very good at reading people's expressions, and they will feel a lot of pressure when you look like this."
He Hansheng was stunned for a moment, then finally understood Zhao Jingyi's good intentions.
He chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Sorry. I lost my composure."
"Oh, that's normal. Any man would be just as uneasy as you if he knew his wife was on the front lines. I'm just reminding you that after fighting for more than half a year, everyone is exhausted. A depressed atmosphere is not good."
Zhao Jingyi also found it quite amazing. Just over half a month ago, he and He Hansheng were fighting to the death on the battlefield, and now He Hansheng was reminding him to boost morale...
However, Zhao Jingyi admitted that whether it was He Changxin, whom his father admired to the point of prostration, or He Hansheng and Shen Yan, with whom he had fought, they all had a certain personal charm. They were both respectable opponents and reliable friends.
So Zhao Jingyi shamelessly asked He Hansheng, "Hey He Hansheng, does your wife have any sisters? We can't be brothers, but we can be brothers-in-law."
He Hansheng smiled and replied with a single word: "Get lost."
Two days before they reached Huadu, the brothers Song Jialin and Song Wenshi found He Hansheng.
They rode all the way from Huadu, traveling non-stop for a whole night, and finally brought He Hansheng news from inside Huadu.
Song Jialin said that after Li Bo and the Empress Dowager passed away, Tuoba Dian carried out a large-scale search and arrest of the royal family members in Huadu, killing them one by one with extremely cruel methods. The Crown Prince had fled the capital long ago. Although Prince Zhao is now hiding in the capital, there is very little he can do. He can only appease the civil officials who were forced to serve Tuoba Dian and ask them to coax Tuoba Dian so that he would not harm the people in the city.
However, just one day earlier, King Zhao entered the palace and replaced Princess Jinyang, who had been held hostage.
Upon hearing this, He Hansheng was momentarily at a loss for how to react.
For the public good, King Zhao was one of the few remaining members of the royal bloodline of Dacheng, and only with him could Dacheng not be considered a fallen kingdom; but for the private good, He Hansheng could not bear to see his birth mother humiliated by foreigners.
Song Jialin comforted He Hansheng, saying, "It was Prime Minister Lin's idea to send Prince Zhao to exchange for the Princess. He now serves Tuoba Dian, so his words still carry weight. He must be confident to do so."
"Then my mother..."
"Don't worry, the Princess has been brought out. It was your sister-in-law who went to pick her up personally."
He Hansheng: "You've seen Ningning?"
Song Jialin hummed in agreement, but didn't continue, seemingly hesitating whether he should tell He Hansheng what he was about to say.
Song Wenshi, who had been keeping to himself, spoke up, saying, "Your wife has great courage. The entire Yong'an Marquis's family is loyal and righteous; it is truly admirable."
His tone was one of undisguised admiration, yet it inexplicably gave He Hansheng an ominous premonition.
Only then did Song Jialin tell He Hansheng that Shen Suining and King Zhao had gone to the palace together.
...
King Zhao could not possibly go alone as a hostage; the risk was too great. Even if Lin Qingrong had immense ability and courage, he would not dare to gamble the last lifeline of Dacheng in the hands of a cruel foreigner.
So Shen Suining suggested that she go in with King Zhao to exchange the eldest princess first. She would stay by King Zhao's side to ensure his safety, and if Tuoba Dian really wanted to harm King Zhao, Shen Suining could still fight for King Zhao's life.
How did she get in touch with Lin Qingrong? This story begins when she met Gao Lanxin.
Upon learning from Gao Lanxin that the Princess was being held hostage in the palace, Shen Suining's first reaction was to get her released as soon as possible. However, she had no connections. Hearing that Lin Ling's father, Lin Qingrong, was still in charge of affairs in the court, she sought out Lin Ling with a glimmer of hope.
After the Empress Dowager assumed regency, Lin Ling was dismissed from his official post and spent his days idly tending a vegetable garden in the suburbs of the capital. After the Great Dan city fell, he was filled with grief and indignation. When he learned that his father had actually helped the wicked and entered the court as an official, he had a big fight with Lin Qingrong and severed their father-son relationship.
When Shen Suining found him, she felt that this once spirited young man seemed to have matured a lot. There were even a few strands of gray hair, probably due to the depression brought about by the fall of the country.
She didn't reminisce with Lin Ling, but directly stated her purpose.
Lin Ling remained silent for a long time. In fact, he probably knew in his heart that his father was trying to achieve his goal indirectly, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. Others said that he was more upright and unyielding than his father, and even more stubborn when he was angry. Lin Ling never thought that was a compliment, because his father was more flexible than him.
With Lin Ling's help, Shen Suining made contact with Lin Qingrong and also learned about the whereabouts of Prince Zhao.
The three parties met and quickly reached an agreement. Lin Qingrong would take the lead in sending Prince Zhao to the palace to replace Princess Jinyang as a hostage. Shen Suining, who was skilled in disguise, would secretly protect Prince Zhao. This would not only rescue the princess but also help Lin Qingrong gain Tuoba Dian's trust, facilitating the next step of the plan.
After King Zhao entered the palace, he was placed under house arrest in Baohua Hall. Fearing that he might try to escape, Tuoba Dian ordered his legs to be broken, placed him under heavy guard, and arranged for someone to deliver food to him once a day to maintain his basic vital signs.
The person who delivered the food was originally a trusted subordinate of Tuoba Dian. Later, that subordinate was quietly eliminated, and Shen Suining became his impersonator, delivering food to King Zhao every day while also passing on some outside information to him.
That day, Shen Suining delivered food to King Zhao as usual. She told him that He Hansheng and his men had arrived outside the city and were preparing to attack. She wanted to immediately replace him.
King Zhao was unable to move on his own. He was imprisoned in the dark Baohua Palace for seven whole days, living a life worse than death. His cheeks became sunken and his eyes seemed to have lost their light.
Upon hearing that Shen Suining wanted to replace him, King Zhao asked her with difficulty, "If you replace me, what will you do?"
“I have my own way of escaping, trust me,” Shen Suining said in a low voice as she changed herself and Prince Zhao into the clothes she had prepared beforehand. “Prime Minister Lin’s men are waiting for you outside. You must get out of here alive no matter what. Do you know that Lan Niang is about to give birth? You should at least be able to see your child in a presentable manner, right?”
These words finally brought a smile to King Zhao's face. He let Shen Suining manipulate him as she pleased, and then asked, "Does she...do she still hate me?"
“She never hated you.” Shen Suining nimbly carried Prince Zhao on her back and said softly, “She was heavily pregnant in the countryside and endured countless rumors and gossip. Although she doesn’t hate you, after you leave here, you must bring her back to Huadu in a grand and glorious manner.”
King Zhao remained silent for a long time before saying, "Very well."
Lin Qingrong's men waited outside Baohua Hall. After Shen Suining finally managed to get the person out, he immediately carried Prince Zhao on his back, said to Shen Suining, "Madam, please take care," and then hurriedly hid Prince Zhao with him.
Shen Suining quickly returned to her original position, pretending to be half-dead, and quietly waited for Tuoba Dian to come and take her as a hostage.
In fact, Shen Suining knew better than anyone what kind of disaster this act of exchanging hostages would bring her. She had gained the face of the Prince of Zhao, but she could not make up for the huge difference in their physical size. If Tuoba Dian personally sent someone to take her away, it would be easy for her to be exposed. At that time, it was hard to guarantee that the furious Tuoba Dian would not go on a killing spree and kill her on the spot.
Of course, this was the worst-case scenario. Shen Suining thought that he had always been a lucky person and that he shouldn't be that unlucky.
They waited for almost a day, and as dawn broke outside, He Hansheng was leading his men to attack the city.
Although it was called a siege, Huadu was not actually defended by the Great Dan army. This was because He Hansheng arrived two full days earlier than Tuoba Dian had predicted, and his army was still blocked outside Danyu Pass. Thus, He Hansheng and his men easily took over the defense of the capital and marched straight towards the palace.
As the military flag bearing the character "He" fluttered in the wind in the palace, Tuoba Dian grabbed "Prince Zhao" by the hair and dragged him outside like a chick. He was in a fit of rage and his blows were extremely heavy. Even Shen Suining, who was much less sensitive to pain than the average person, felt several piercing pains.
Perhaps sensing that the weight in his hand was much lighter than expected, Tuoba Dian, gripping Shen Suining's neck, stared intently and instantly realized that the hostage had been switched. He was furious, roared, and slammed Shen Suining to the ground, ready to kill him to silence him.
Shen Suining's eyes immediately lit up with stars, he grimaced, and a metallic taste rose in his throat.
However, as she lay on the ground, looking at the "He" military flag fluttering in the wind not far away, she finally felt much more at ease. No matter what her fate was today, she had completed her mission and preserved the royal bloodline of Prince Zhao. She had not disgraced He Hansheng or Shuyu Manor.
However, when she saw the armored leader, Shen Suining was both surprised and confused.
How could it be him?
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