Chapter 101 Chapter 101 "Digging a grave, opening a coffin, taking something, ...
After Yuwen Yue was subdued, the remaining Xianbei female generals, though they put up a desperate resistance, were ultimately overwhelmed by the overwhelming force of the imperial army and ultimately fled. Pengcheng thus returned to the rule of the Great Zhou.
The remaining soldiers fled in all directions, but were intercepted by the Northern Army who had been lying in ambush in the rear. They were all captured without a single one escaping.
"Report, over 3,000 enemies captured in the north!"
"Report, team one suffered sixty-three casualties!"
"Report, Team 15 suffered 40 casualties!"
"Reporting, we have complied with the military order. All the sentry towers have been replaced!"
"Thank you, General. Some civilians in the city have been affected by the fighting, and many have been injured."
Xie Tingyu turned, her scarlet cape fluttering on the city walls. She surveyed the entire territory of Pengcheng and said in a deep voice, "Open the granaries and take 30% of the grain to distribute to the people to reassure them."
"I'll go."
Yuan Wangshu sheathed his sword and immediately led a team of Qingluan soldiers down the city and headed straight for the granary.
As he was leaving the city, he passed Wang Lanzhi ascending the tower. They exchanged glances and nodded, a tacit understanding. Wang Lanzhi approached and reported, "The sentries at the city gates and the shift changes have been carefully arranged. Entry and exit are strictly controlled, ensuring absolutely no accidents."
He added, "Cui Yuanying is currently sending people to search every household to see if there is any suspicion of harboring criminals."
Xie Tingyu gazed at the rubble in the distance. "Now that Pengcheng has been recaptured, we must repair the city walls and gates as soon as possible. As for the money we need..." She pointed in the direction of Wang Ning's residence. "Since he's been so greedy, I'm sure there's a lot hidden inside. Send someone to thoroughly plunder it, leaving no trace."
Then, she issued a series of orders: providing compensation to the fallen soldiers, strictly ordering the soldiers not to rob the civilians, maintaining order in the city, etc. The orders were clear and orderly, and no omissions were allowed.
Wang Lanzhi smiled at Xie Tingyu and said, "You are giving orders with such maturity, you don't seem like a rookie guard. General Huan has high hopes for you, and he was right."
"I'm just copying."
"Young Master."
At this time, Cen Xiu quickly ascended the stairs and reported, "The captured Xianbei leader requests an audience."
"Who?" Wang Lanzhi frowned.
"Return to Commander Wang, he is the leader of the Xianbei people."
"Even if he's a prisoner, how can he be qualified to see Tingyu? He's just making a last-ditch effort. Just send him away."
Xie Tingyu raised his hand to stop her. "Since she specifically asked to see me, she must have some ulterior motive. She's so badly injured, she can't cause any trouble." He paused, his expression calm, "It's okay for me to go there myself."
That group of Xianbei people were imprisoned in the dungeon, and Yuwen Yue was the one under special supervision.
Xie Tingyu descended the stone steps. Though torches lit in the prison, they could hardly dispel the chill and dampness. In the deepest cell, she found Yuwen Yue. She lay slumped on the dry grass, her bloodstained, tangled hair draped over her face, untouched. Only the wound on her abdomen had been hastily bandaged by a military doctor, a special instruction from Xie Tingyu.
Glancing at the untouched food on the wooden table, Xie Tingyu said calmly, "Aren't you going to eat a few bites?"
At first, she hadn't paid much attention to the footsteps, but now, recognizing the voices, Yuwen Yue suddenly leaped from the haystack. The pain in her abdomen ripped like a rip, and she only frowned, turning her head to stare at Xie Tingyu. If it weren't for the shackles, she would have already thrown herself at the fence.
The candlelight on the table was startled by her sudden movement and flickered.
Yu Wen Yue's voice was hoarse, still speaking her Xianbei dialect: "Wang Xuanji, why do you look so different from twelve years ago?"
When she first entered the battlefield, she was only sixteen years old, and now she was only twenty-eight. Although she was approaching thirty, the fierceness in her eyes was even stronger than before.
She licked her back teeth, her eyes gleaming brighter. "But your swordsmanship is still as ruthless and deadly as it was back then."
She chuckled softly, then slammed her palm against the wall with a thunderous sound, and continued in stiff Chinese, "Some say you're dead, but I refuse to believe it! You were able to take my master's head amidst a vast army. How could someone like you die so easily?"
She breathed rapidly, staring straight at Xie Tingyu, her eyes burning with fire. "I pray to Tengri every day, praying that you are not dead, praying that we can meet again. Look, Tengri has answered my prayer! The gods are my witness!"
"Although I was defeated by you again today, you are the strongest opponent in my life. I, Yuwen Yue, have no regrets for being able to fight you."
Xie Tingyu sighed softly when he heard this, then turned to the jailer and said, "Give me the key, and get out of here. I have something to say to this man."
"Your Excellency, absolutely not! This Xianbei bandit once killed Governor Wang Ning, and his vicious nature remains."
Several prison guards looked anxious and tried to dissuade him.
Xie Tingyu pointed at the blood-soaked gauze on Yu Wenyue's abdomen and said coldly, "She's already injured like this, how can she hurt me? Get out."
"yes."
A few keys clicked and the gate opened. Xie Tingyu walked in and sat calmly on a wooden chair. "Did you ask me to come here just to say this?"
"I... I just wanted to see you. But why did I just hear someone calling you Guard Xie? When did you change your last name to Xie?"
Yuwen Yue looked at Xie Tingyu suspiciously. "Not only have you changed a lot, you've also become younger and younger. Could it be that your Great Zhou really has some elixir of immortality that can make you younger if you take it?"
"There's no such thing as an elixir of life," Xie Tingyu said casually. "Don't call me Wang Xuanji in public anymore. My name is Xie Tingyu."
Yu Wen Yue laughed heartily, "Hahahaha! No matter how you deny it, your swordsmanship can't deceive anyone!"
He paused mid-laugh, his gaze suddenly tightening. "In the future? What do you mean by in the future? Are you planning to recruit me as a general?"
Before she finished speaking, she lunged forward, her shackles clanging, and she knelt devoutly before Xie Tingyu. "I was once a humble creature left to fend for myself on the grasslands, but was fortunately picked up and nurtured by the master. Since her death in battle, I have vowed never to serve two masters."
She raised her head and looked straight at me, "But if it's you, I'm willing to surrender."
"Because in my life, I only submit to the strong."
"...Why did you agree so readily?"
"Because you've defeated me many times. Twelve years ago, you beat me..." Yu Wen Yue stretched out five fingers, raising them one by one. "Including this time, that's five times in total. You're amazing. You actually beat me five times!"
When she spoke passionately, her eyes burned as if there was fire.
“…Okay, actually, I came here, firstly, to recruit a little sister, and secondly, to ask you about someone.”
Xie Tingyu tapped his knuckles on the wooden table, rhythmically repeating a few times. He asked calmly, "Where's that Han Chinese you tied up?"
Yu Wen Yue was stunned and asked, "Is she your friend?"
"no."
Yu Wen Yue breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. When I heard her say you were dead, I was furious. I tied her up, beat her up, and threw her into the secret room."
"Everyone will die eventually, why can't you listen to this?"
Yu Wen Yue's face was immediately filled with rage. "Because she kept saying that you would definitely die, saying that it was your damned late emperor's order that you must die on the battlefield!"
The more she spoke, the angrier she became. She wished she could rush into the secret room and beat someone up again, but she saw Xie Tingyu's expression suddenly change. His calm demeanor just now suddenly became like a dark cloud looming, with undercurrents surging in his eyes and a surge of hostility.
She only smiled with a forced smile, "Oh? Really? Take me to see her. I have something to ask her in person."
The jailers were still wondering how this Lord Xie had managed to subdue the unruly Yuwen Yue with such a few words when they saw Xie Tingyu leading the others out of the prison gate. Even more astonishing was the fact that Yuwen Yue was not shackled at all. He simply followed Xie Tingyu quietly, occasionally whispering directions. His docility was completely different from the fierce man rumored to have conquered several cities.
The secret room that Yu Wen Yue mentioned was hidden deep in Wang Ning's dormitory.
To conceal his ill-gotten gains, Wang Ning commissioned a craftsman to create a hidden underground chamber in his bedroom. Simply rotate the blue and white porcelain vase in the corner three times, and the bookshelf will move away, revealing a secret passage extending downward.
Yuwen Yue personally raised the torch and bowed to lead Xie Tingyu into the darkness.
Walk through the sealed sandalwood boxes scattered all over the floor and enter the innermost secret room.
Xie Tingyu raised his eyes and ordered Yu Wenyue to light all the torches around him. In the dancing firelight, a figure tied to the wall by iron chains was reflected. His hair was messy, his clothes were stained with blood, and his appearance was difficult to distinguish. Yu Wenyue stepped forward and lifted his hair, revealing a bruised and swollen face. It was obvious that he had been severely beaten.
With a thud, the body fell heavily to the ground, even bouncing a bit. Xie Tingyu looked at it coldly, only to see that the man had obviously lived a life of luxury since leaving the military camp, and his figure had become much plumper.
As soon as Ji Yao saw that it was Yuwen Yue, he immediately started cursing again, "Traitor! Even if you beat me a thousand times, once the Great Zhoutian Army arrives, we will crush your nest into dust!"
"You barbarians are truly ignorant of etiquette and righteousness. You dare to kill your master and betray your loyalty. You are worse than pigs and dogs!"
After the scolding, Ji Yao felt relieved, but he was dizzy and swaying due to hunger and thirst for days.
In the past, Yuwen Yue would have punched him, but with Xie Tingyu present, she didn't dare to move. She just sneered and retreated behind him.
Ji Yao, who had been cursing all the time, suddenly fell silent when he saw Xie Tingyu.
Xie Tingyu glanced at the people on the ground and said calmly, "Don't worry, Pengcheng has returned to the Great Zhou. Madam Ji, your life is safe."
After saying this, Xie Tingyu crossed his arms and bowed, "I am Xie Tingyu of the Xie family of Chen Commandery, and I am here to protect the army in suppressing the rebellion."
Ji Yao's expression cleared slightly, and he staggered to his feet, leaning against the wall. "I am Ji Yao of the Ji clan of Luoyi. Thank you for your help." He pointed at Yuwen Yue with a trembling hand, "Guardian, this man is cruel and ruthless, and a traitor to his master. He is truly unfit to serve under your command."
"Betraying the Lord?"
Xie Tingyu suddenly smiled playfully, "Then what do you think we should do?"
"We should kill him to vent our anger. It would be best if we cut his body into pieces and feed them to the dogs!"
After a few claps, Xie Tingyu clapped his hands. "Well said, brilliantly said, and it really makes sense!"
Xie Tingyu walked slowly around Ji Yao, his hands behind his back, and said slowly, "Ji Yao is from a branch of the Luoyi Ji family. During the reign of the previous emperor, he joined the Jinwu Guard and followed the army in the Northern Expedition. Although he did not have any outstanding military achievements, he was recommended by the previous emperor and served as a personal guard of Wang Zhuozhang of the Langya Wang family."
Ji Yao was stunned. Although he had never met this person before, he felt a strong sense of familiarity and oppression coming over him.
Why did she enumerate all this? Was it because she wanted to verify his identity before rescuing him?
Ji Yao hurriedly bowed and said, "General, I understand that everything you said is true. However, after the Northern Expedition, I have been away from the court and no longer involved in military affairs."
"You didn't ask, but I had to ask."
Xie Tingyu suddenly stopped, his dark eyes piercing his face like blades. "In the fifteenth year of Jian'an, at the battle of Sishui Luweize, the Wang army suffered heavy casualties. The brave generals Wang Zhuozhang and Wang Xuanji were both killed in the battlefield. How did you survive that time?"
She spoke sharply, "Yuwen Yue just said that the late emperor had secretly ordered the death of Wang Xuanji. Do you still have that warrant?"
Suddenly, he smiled grimly, his voice resounding like thunder: "Does the warrant also say that the two Wang generals must be buried together in Sishui?"
Ji Yao's heart stopped, and her blood rushed backwards. The smile before her terrified her, and a chill ran down her spine.
Instantly, memories of the night before the expedition came roaring back. She had been secretly summoned to the palace, personally ordered by the late emperor to work together with Yuan Zhaoyun of the Runan Yuan clan to ensure that the two generals of the Wang clan died on the battlefield without resulting in defeat. Upon success, he promised her a noble title and generous reward.
She was just a distant relative, so how could she miss such a golden opportunity for advancement? Moreover, she had long harbored a grudge against Wang Xuanji. A humble knight, a mere wanderer, had repeatedly outshone noblewomen at the Autumn Hunt, even rising to the rank of Swift Blade Captain, commanding three thousand cavalry!
She then secretly falsified military reports, luring Wang's troops into a dead end. She then conspired with Yuan Zhaoyun to ambush Wang Xuanji, shooting him in the back with an armor-piercing crossbow, forcing him off a cliff. Later, Yuan Zhaoyun led the Qingluan Army to eliminate the remaining enemies, while she, to cover her crime, retrieved Wang Zhuozhang's body and carried it back to the main camp.
Xie Tingyu glared coldly at Ji Yao, who collapsed to the ground, her whole body trembling violently, her lips and teeth moving but no sound coming out. Her panic-stricken expression spoke volumes, needing no words.
She turned around and casually opened a sandalwood box, rummaged through it briefly, and when she turned back, there were two wooden boxes in her hands, one empty and one full, the full one was filled with jade beads.
Xie Tingyu leaned over and placed the wooden box in front of Ji Yao. "The more secrets you reveal, the more lives your family will have to bear. I heard that you've been living comfortably since the Northern Expedition. You've taken in eight wives, six of whom are pregnant. You've even brought your old father to live with you."
"You, you, you..." Ji Yao was speechless with horror. Who was this person? Why was he reopening the old case?
"Did the late emperor give you a warrant back then?"
Ji Yao was silent for a long while. Suddenly, the man took out two jade beads from the box and said in a calm voice, "After you die, you will have a husband and a concubine to accompany you. I believe you will not be lonely."
"Who else is taking over the order with you?" The man paused and asked sharply, "Is Yuan Zhaoyun one of them?"
Ji Yao's face changed drastically and he was extremely frightened. This person must know some inside information, otherwise how could he point out another person so accurately.
Then I heard the tinkling of beads falling from a box, like a judge's pen marking the book of life and death: "Your other husbands are deeply in love, so why not join you?"
He took another bead and said, "And your father, why not..."
"I say... I say..."
"I tell you! I tell you!"
Ji Yao rushed forward and grabbed Xie Tingyu's hand tightly, raised his head and screamed with bloodshot eyes, telling him the whole conspiracy of that year in bits and pieces.
The late emperor was naturally suspicious and always worried that his orders would be falsified when they reached his subjects. Therefore, whenever he issued an order, he would give a copy to the person who was to carry it out and keep a copy for himself to compare. This was not uncommon in the imperial family.
Xie Tingyu listened quietly, then suddenly curved his lips, revealing a very sarcastic smile, and slowly said, "Then where is your warrant?"
"It's burning, it's burning." Ji Yao's voice trembled.
"What about the late emperor's order?"
Ji Yao shuddered violently and whispered, "He should have been buried with her."
Xie Tingyu suddenly looked up to the sky and laughed out loud.
No wonder the reconnaissance route was wrong that year, no wonder Wang Zhuozhang was not spared, and no wonder Yuan Zhaoyun was able to rush to the rescue so quickly!
The wooden box in his hand fell to the ground with a bang, and the jade beads rolled all over the ground with the sound of breaking.
Xie Tingyu stopped smiling, his eyes as cold as a knife, and he slammed down his words coldly: "Such a traitorous person does not deserve to live in this world. Yuwen Yue, you kill her, cut her body into eight pieces, and throw it out to feed the dogs. As for her husband, her child, and her father, comfort them well, that's another matter."
In the cold night, she walked aimlessly. Passing soldiers, seeing her, shouted in unison, "Thank you, Protector!" However, she seemed dazed, as if she hadn't heard them, simply walking on. Everyone was puzzled, but, mindful of their military duties, they didn't dare say anything and simply focused on their work.
She didn't know where she was going, or how long she had been walking, when Xie Tingyu suddenly saw the faint outline of a palace ahead, its eaves barely visible beneath the snow. She looked up and saw three large characters inscribed on a plaque: "Ersheng Shrine."
It turned out to be an ancestral hall.
Which two gods are enshrined in this ancestral hall?
Pushing the door open, I was greeted by a chill. The incense had long been extinguished, leaving only cobwebs lingering in the silence. In the center stood two ancient statues, which, at first glance, didn't resemble the common Taoist deities.
The statue on the left wasn't wearing a long, loose robe, but a close-fitting armored battle robe with sharp shoulder ornaments and a sinister chest rivet. Hanging from his waist was a horizontal sword, the handle mottled but still cold and intimidating. Xie Tingyu's eyes caught his face, and his pupils suddenly trembled.
Isn't that her face?!
It was clearly her appearance when Wang Xuanji was alive!
And the statue on the right is actually Wang Zhuozhang!
Suddenly, he heard a sound behind him. Xie Tingyu turned around and saw a girl who looked to be in her thirties holding a wooden basket filled with incense, candles and paper money.
The girl walked straight past Xie Tingyu, lit the incense and candles, and respectfully inserted them into the incense burner. She also lit paper money and threw it into the ash bucket beside her.
Looking at the flying gray and white paper scraps, Xie Tingyu suddenly asked, "Why is there a temple for the two saints here, and why are these two people enshrined here?"
The girl lowered her head, gazing intently at the ashes, and whispered, "I'm not from Pengcheng, so I don't know. Over ten years ago, Pengcheng was brutally trampled by the Xianbei cavalry. The men and women in the city were brutally raped and murdered, and even the boys were not spared. It was these two generals who drew their swords and recaptured Pengcheng."
"I still remember that day when the Xianbei people pinned my father to the ground and tried to commit atrocities. It was General Wang Xuanji who beheaded the thief with a single blow, saving my father's life."
"The two generals later garrisoned Pengcheng for a time, maintaining order and preventing the Xianbei from invading. Peace returned to the city. When the people heard the two generals had died in battle, they were deeply saddened and raised funds to build this ancestral hall here to commemorate their virtues and honor them forever."
After the paper money had burned, the girl bowed respectfully to the two statues and left. In a moment, Xie Tingyu was the only one left in the ancestral hall.
She stared at the statue of Wang Zhuozhang for a long time and suddenly smiled.
That laughter was filled with sadness and desolation.
She said softly.
"I've said it long ago, titles and fame are things you can't bring with you when you're born, and you can't take with you when you die. Yet, you noble ladies treat them like treasures."
"You served the court wholeheartedly, but what did you get in return? She was the one who conspired to frame you and send you to the battlefield, leaving you stained with blood, unable to rise again."
My vision gradually blurred, the candlelight blurred by my tears. Finally, a crystal teardrop overflowed and slowly slid down the corner of my eye.
"Wang Zhuozhang, are you ridiculous? Are you pitiful? Are you sad?"
"It's ridiculous that you spent your entire military career, yet only your impulsiveness and strategic missteps are recorded in history books. It's pitiful that your Wang family has lost their youth to their old age, and the pain is heartbreaking. Sadly, it was clearly someone else who set up the trap, yet you were left to take the blame. Now you've fallen into the abyss, and all my words have been silenced, unable to be shared with anyone."
Xie Tingyu wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand, "Maybe I was reborn for this."
She turned around, gave the two images one last look, and said, "Just wait. I will clear our names."
————
Imperial Palace.
Jiangzhu lowered her head to comb Ji Lian's hair and whispered back, "When we returned to the capital today, there was such a grand scene, even more impressive than the last time we suppressed the bandits."
"I saw many people waiting on the official road, cheering louder and louder to see Master Xie. There was even a young master who wanted to present Master Xie with a wreath."
Ji Lian raised her eyes, looked at the face in the bronze mirror, and asked softly, "Did she accept it? Which family is it from?"
"It seems to be the young master of the Fanyang Lu family. But the master didn't take it. She just took a look, said thank you, and rode away."
Ji Lian's lips curved up almost imperceptibly, "She's sensible."
"The emperor held a grand victory banquet in the palace, inviting all the generals who went on the expedition. Sir Xie also attended. Someone just reported back that although Sir's official rank was not promoted, he was granted a title, which is said to be the Marquis of Wu'an."
Jiangzhu bowed and said, "Although it is spring, it is late at night and the dew is heavy. Your Highness should rest early." After saying that, she bowed and left the room.
Ji Lian stood up and walked to the window. Just as she was about to close it, she saw a man sitting lazily on the wall, with one leg bent and casually resting on the green brick eaves.
Under the shimmering moonlight, the man raised his head and lifted the pot. Cool, clear wine flowed from the pot's mouth, winding down from the corners of his lips, wetting his clothes and exuding a cool, alcoholic fragrance. As if hearing a sound, the man lowered his head and met Ji Lian's eyes.
In a moment, Xie Tingyu jumped down the wall and rushed to the window like lightning.
"Lian Lian."
When they opened their lips, a strong smell of alcohol lingered between them. It was unknown how much she had drunk.
Ji Lian's heart tightened slightly, and she bit her lip and looked at her, "I thought you wouldn't come tonight."
Xie Tingyu casually threw the wine jug in her hand, and it landed with a crisp sound. She leaned forward with both hands on the window sill, and moved closer to Ji Lian. "Do me a favor, please?"
"you say."
"I want a map of Emperor Yang's tomb and a map of the route to it."
Emperor Yang was the posthumous title of the previous emperor.
Ji Lian was startled, "What are you doing here?"
"Dig up the grave, open the coffin, take something out, and whip the corpse."
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The author has something to say: Lianlian: I can say 10,000 words about the fact that my future wife wants to blow up my dead mother's grave.
I wrote nearly 6,000 words in one breath. I can barely count it as a successful day 6 today.
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