Chapter 54: Ending "Xiaojiu, I'm here to marry you...
"It used to be?" Chen Yu lowered his eyelashes sadly, almost talking to himself, "Isn't it the same now?"
Shen Yu's words didn't sound like a question, but rather a statement of near despair.
He had the Jingguo Army at his side, which was both a backup and a shackle. He didn't want Qi Xin to be so estranged from him, but he couldn't completely abandon his entire plan for her. After much thought, he realized that he really couldn't make any promises to Qi Xin...
"Master, it seems like this princess is ungrateful." Qi Xin forced a smile. She felt that the pain in her heart was a thousand times or even ten thousand times stronger than anything she had experienced before. But now the situation was as if she was being roasted on the fire.
There's still no clue about the old Duke's case. If it weren't for someone extremely powerful suppressing the news, it would have leaked out without a trace. So, even if this wasn't my father's doing, he must be involved.
The escape plan that my father designed for my master can probably only keep the secret for a while.
Besides, Shengdu might be in a very treacherous situation right now. If the master really did something for him regardless of the consequences, the person behind it would probably make a big fuss about the relationship between the two.
Qi Xin held her breath and steeled her heart, saying, "Master, I will never forget your generous guidance. I never expected you to be so arbitrary. So, our friendship ends here."
"What friendship?" Chen Yu's eyes darkened, and he held her wrist tightly, "Xiao Jiu, explain clearly!"
"Put aside your bossy tone, Chen Yu!" Qi Xin shook his hand away. "Is it because I've been too indulgent with you that you're talking to me like this?"
Chen Yu no longer knew where he was. Looking at her indifferent back, something in his heart tugged at him. He hurriedly pulled her back, pressed her against the wall, and leaned over.
Qi Xin was hit so hard that his eyes were dizzy. Before he could come to his senses, he felt two cold lips pressed against him.
Qi Xin pushed him away without thinking, and then slapped him in the face with a "slap", shaking his hand so much that it trembled with pain.
Chen Yu was a little stunned by the slap, and then he followed his instinct to control her wrists, holding her head with one hand, and freeing the other hand to wrap around her waist, pulling her towards him, as if only this all-round embrace of her could make him feel at ease.
Shen Yu leaned close to her earlobe and coaxed her gently, "Xiaojiu, tell me the truth, okay?"
Suddenly, Qi Xin felt a warm current rising from the soles of her feet, mixed with the heat of his whispers in her ears, entering her blood and heart, exciting her to the point that her bones were about to break.
"Yes, I do like you..." Qi Xin's consciousness gradually became hazy. These words that were buried deep in her heart, she blurted out as if guided by something, and then she fell into a coma.
"Report—" A young man who looked like a soldier came over breathlessly, "Master, Master, Sheng, Shengdu has changed hands!"
"Oh?" Chen Yu seemed unsurprised and responded calmly, "Who is it?"
"Qi Ye." The soldier said tremblingly.
"It's him, indeed. He's so impatient." Chen Yu continued gravely, "It's one thing to think that the Imperial City Army is so easy to capture, but how could they let him take the city so easily?"
"Seventh Master..." Zheng Ba, who had been following silently, finally spoke, but his expression was distorted as if he was racking his brains for words.
"Why are you hesitating? Just say what you want to say!" Shen Yu was already a little impatient.
"Seventh Master, you have been asking your subordinates to monitor Lord Lan's movements. In fact, His Majesty Jialing has noticed him early on, but I never expected that His Majesty would really..." Zheng Ba suddenly paused, raised his eyes to observe Chen Yu's expression, and seeing that he did not show any fluctuations, he simply continued:
"He didn't care about your life or death. Fortunately, His Highness Jialing saw him a few days ago and persuaded him to return. But now it seems that he didn't make it. If he was still in charge of the Shadow Capital Guard, they wouldn't have been wiped out so quietly."
"Do you think our former emperor knew that Xiaojiu came to Ningbei secretly?" Chen Yu spoke while still looking down at the person in his arms.
Zheng Ba pursed his lips, lowered his head and said nothing.
"That's the problem!" Zheng Ba had been with him for so many years, and Chen Yu knew exactly what he was thinking without even having to look. But facing this bloody truth, even though he himself had gotten used to it, he knew that his steadfast Xiao Jiu hadn't gotten used to it, and he didn't want her to get used to it either.
Shen Yu sighed: "Let's do it according to the plan."
Zheng Ba's originally calm brows wrinkled into a ball: "Seventh Master, even if we have made arrangements in advance, we have never fought him before. But if we let Bai Lu stay here, I'm afraid..."
Shen Yu choked with a half-smile: "Do you think He Lianzhu is dead? Don't you know that he is being used by others?"
Zheng Ba exclaimed as if waking from a dream: "No wonder he has been sitting still for so long!"
"Okay, stop getting so jumpy, Xiaobai can handle it. If you keep yelling like that, my little girl will wake up soon. Go back and pack up, take your deputy general with you, and we will set off back to Shengdu tomorrow morning." Chen Yu gently rubbed the cheek of the person in his arms with his thumb, passed through her knees, and picked her up sideways. His figure gradually merged into the twilight in the distance.
Shengdu, Taiqing Palace.
The hall was empty and silent, with only the occasional cries of crows. Two middle-aged men in fancy clothes sat there without saying a word.
A man sat upright on the throne. Although his eyes looked blurry due to heavy eye bags, the majestic and solemn aura around him was not diminished in the slightest.
The other one sat sideways with his legs idly resting on the steps, one hand resting on the soft blanket, and the other hand casually turning the bone ring between his knuckles.
Among the people outside the hall, some were like ants on a hot pan, fidgeting and restless; some were like old men who had experienced many vicissitudes of life, and looked composed; some were like gamblers who had bet on the right thing, and were beaming with joy... There were all kinds of people, just like the freehand sketches of a great writer on a scroll, and the symbols were vivid and alive.
After an unknown number of hours, the idler on the steps, probably tired of sitting, stood up to stretch his muscles, walked around to the back of the throne, looked at the untouched Zen book, and burst into laughter:
"Royal brother, Royal brother, why are you doing this? After all, the country belongs to the Qi family, and we are all brothers. It doesn't matter whether you sit in this position or not. I see that you haven't been feeling well lately, so this is a good opportunity to rest, don't you agree?"
"I should have thought of this earlier. It's you!" Emperor Shengde punched his five fingers, which were covered with flesh. "If I had known this—"
"If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have listened to my father and spared my life." Qi Ye simply stopped pretending and walked back to the front of the throne. He placed his hands on the desk and smiled at Emperor Shengde.
"Don't worry, my brother! If it weren't for our father's partiality, seeing my achievements surpassing his own, and not wanting to tolerate me, do you think this position would be yours?"
Qi Ye paused, as if remembering something, his eyes stained with a hint of cunning, he turned back to his right body, crossed his arms and sneered: "Oh, speaking of surpassing the master in merit - my royal brother is really as close as father and son, we are walking the same path!"
"Shut up!" Emperor Shengde, who had been calm and composed, seemed to have been hit in a sore spot. He threw the ruler in anger, "I never thought of harming Brother Shen's life. It was obviously you!"
"I have been indifferent for so long, but when I mention Old Duke Shen, my brother is anxious." Qi Ye dodged to the side, leaned forward, and stared at him again:
"Haha, how long are you going to keep pretending to be kind and righteous? If you had nothing to hide, why would you send Old Duke Shen to a remote western battlefield? As your younger brother, I was simply following the flow and helping my brother get rid of this serious threat. And yet, my brother, knowing all this, has been coaxing Shen Yu into fighting for you. Ask yourself, when you watched that brat Shen Yu risk his life on the Ningbei border, did you ever feel any regret? Did you ever feel guilty?"
"Qi Ye!" Emperor Shengde shouted angrily, "Who are you? What qualifications do you have to judge me?"
Qi Ye blinked his eyes, and with the normal arc of his mouth, he shook his head:
"At least I'm not like you, who, for power, would even exploit my own sworn brothers and my own daughter. With Tiantian, my hatred for you and my father had diminished. We just wanted to live a good life. But you, my arrogant brother, orchestrated the Suining Gate Incident, tricking Duke Shen into pursuing our family to ensure your ascension to the throne! Everything I have now was earned at the cost of Tiantian's mother's life! Tell me, how can I extinguish the hatred for my wife's murder?"
"Even if I did make a mistake, this is not an excuse for you to collude with the Moon Kingdom!" Emperor Shengde's eyes widened with anger and he scolded loudly.
"Collusion? Are those barbaric tribes like them worthy of such a thing?" Qi Ye seemed to have heard a huge joke and was extremely amused:
"Hasn't my Royal Brother always wanted to raise a Blood Surplus army to expand the territory, even going so far as to let his own daughter become one? But you have neither virtue nor talent, and even the Blood Pills and Night Devouring Gu alone cannot raise any Blood Surplus! But it doesn't matter. From now on, I will fulfill your wish."
"It's really hard for you to play along with me for such a long time." Emperor Shengde calmed down and shook his head:
"It's no surprise that you were able to get close to Concubine Chu and use the opportunity to not only recruit General Wen Shao, but also win over the Western Dan forces. What I don't understand is why you still go to so much trouble to let Murong Fei get close to Ling'er. Isn't that a thankless task?"
"My Royal Brother knows quite a lot!" Qi Ye was stunned for a moment, then immediately recovered as usual, "Don't blame me for not reminding you, the ten-day deadline is approaching. If I still don't see the abdication edict by then, don't blame me for not thinking of our brotherly relationship!"
At Guyi Piaohao, Xing'er handed the note to Shuangjiang and said earnestly, "This is the note my master sent back from Ningbei. I guess my master was worried that someone would intercept it, so he wrote it very cryptically. That's why I had to come to find Shopkeeper Shuang."
"Rainwater peeks at the flowers, wetting my clothes[1]. Qingming has passed, and the wild geese have come from the moon." Shuangjiang looked at the sixteen words without showing any abnormality. "This note is nothing. I've accidentally caught you. It must be that something has happened in Ningbei, and your prince has asked you to come and report the news."
"Then my master..." Xing'er's eyes were filled with anxiety.
"What could possibly happen? With Master Qi in charge, your master is perfectly safe!" Shuangjiang interrupted her absentmindedly, stroking the note. Then, as if he smelled something, his expression suddenly changed. "This note carries the scent of the Bloody Ones. You're being targeted!"
"Oh, yes, I'm sorry!" Xing'er was so flustered that her tongue was tied. "I really didn't know..."
"Stop talking nonsense. You're an ordinary person, so it's normal that you haven't noticed." Shuangjiang activated the engine in a few seconds and pulled Xing'er into the secret passage. "It's not safe here anymore. Let's retreat first. At least hold out until Qi Ye and the others return to the capital!"
"My Lord." In the Wanxiang Hall in the imperial city of Shengdu, the man took off his mask, revealing Mei Niang's peerless beauty.
The person in the main seat waved the fan lazily, not even bothering to lift an eyelid: "You'd better bring some good news..."
Mei Niang's face twisted as she endured the feeling of thousands of ants gnawing at her body. She held her breath and said, "I found it."
The person in the main seat folded his folding fan with a snap and shot down sharply: "Oh? Where?"
The pain in Mei Niang's body also dissipated. She straightened her body and answered respectfully: "Gu Yi Piaohao."
"Hahahahaha!" The man smiled and sat on the throne. "Good boy, you really have some ability. In front of everyone... Lead your men to surround every branch in Shengdu. Conserve your strength and avoid direct confrontation."
"Yes, I'll do it right away."
That night, a flash of white light passed through the sky above the quiet imperial city, and then deathly silence returned.
The bald eagle circled in the sky for a long time, but ultimately did not enter the city. Instead, it landed in the dense forest on the outskirts of the city.
Frostfall, wearing a light, soft-cover version of a wart armor, knelt on the ground with his fists clasped. "It was my fault for not doing my job well that the Guyi Bank was exposed. I beg for punishment, Master Qi."
Shen Yu supported her elbows and pulled her up: "It's okay, as long as you are okay."
Seeing this, Xing'er rushed over and pulled his sleeve, saying, "Duke, you are so righteous. Well, well, my master—"
"Xiaojiu is fine. Zheng Ba is protecting her. Don't worry!" Shen Yu said quietly, "She will come back after Shengdu is settled."
When the news reached the heart of the Moon Nation, He Lianzhu was furious. He threw things around and said, "That treacherous Qi Ye! He promised to send my Crown Princess back and share the empire with me. That's all bullshit! He climbed to the throne by hook or by crook, and now he wants to be abandoned after his own death? Don't even think about it!"
"Your Highness, please calm down. There are the National Defense Army stationed in Ningbei. If you act rashly like this, you will only make things difficult for others!" The witch doctor comforted him worriedly.
"What are you afraid of? Do you think Shen Yu can let go of the peaceful and prosperous world his father fought so hard for?" He Lianzhu sneered, "He'd have already run back to Shengdu to seek justice. Why not take advantage of the dark night and the strong winds when their own inner courtyard is on fire and catch them off guard?"
The witch doctor cupped his hands and said, "Your Highness is wise."
He Lianzhu: "Count the entire army and set off immediately!"
"Understood!"
On the northern border of Ning, a vast, armored fleet, emitting the oppressive aura of a bloody army, surged forward like a wave. Bai Lu stood leisurely beside the heavy ship, turned the knob, raised her eyebrows, and said, "Here they come."
All of a sudden, a huge monster emerged from the peaks and slowly appeared in the public's sight. For a moment, it seemed as if the earth was shaking and the mountains were overwhelming.
"Your Highness, this..." The leader of the Yue Kingdom's navy was so frightened that his pants suddenly got wet.
"Playing tricks! It's just an empty city plan." He Lianzhu forced millions of Night Devouring Gu to move at the same time, howling with bloodshot eyes, "Fire attack, fire attack, all of you!"
Several of the 60% blood survivors who were leading the charge immediately drew their bows and arrows. In an instant, thousands of arrows were fired at once, piercing the darkness like meteors.
"rise!"
At Bai Lu's command, a sail rose from the heavy ship, temporarily blocking the incoming flames. Then, as the gears turned, tens of thousands of oars separated from the heavy ship and dived underwater, stealthily closing in on the enemy.
"Commander Bai, their arrows are quenched with the acidic blood of the Blood Remainers, and are corroding our sails bit by bit!" The deputy general beside him took two steps back in shock, looking at Bai Lu as if grasping at a lifeline, "Look--"
"Hold the position well, I will be back soon!" Bai Lu glanced at He Lianzhu who was not far away, and randomly jumped onto a Lan Rao.
"I understand."
Bai Lu looked around underwater until she approached the stern of the boat where He Lianzhu was, then activated the drainage system, jumped out of the top hatch, and swung out the thin blades between her fingers with both hands, attacking He Lianzhu from behind.
"Your Highness, be careful!" The quick-eyed and quick-handed witch doctor pushed He Lianzhu aside. Dozens of thin blades pierced his body, leaving hideous bloody holes.
"Bai Lu—" He Lianzhu's eyes were already bloodshot when he turned around. After roaring, he quickly stood up surrounded by several people with more than 70% blood. He straightened his clothes and said, "As the leader of the 'Shui Chizi' water vein, I have come to this meeting alone. It seems that I have no other choice. I think you are a heroine. Hand over the defense map and I will reward you with an intact body!"
"Just you?" Bai Lu looked at these young women with stunning looks but empty eyes with caution, and silently put the thin blade tempered with alkaline water between her fingers.
"Very good!" He Lian Zhu Lang smiled and clapped his hands twice, while secretly activating the Night Devouring Gu. "I just like the way you guys are so confident even when facing death!"
The Blood Survivor on Bai Lu's right side immediately moved, and a straight punch came towards her with a strong wind. She ducked to avoid it, and at the same time, she swept her leg and knocked down another Blood Survivor who was about to pounce on her and bite her. However, when she turned around, she was hit on the left cheek by a punch from the Blood Survivor who kept rushing forward.
Bai Lu tilted her head, spat out a few bloody broken teeth, and leaned back to avoid the horizontal sword that was coming at her from the front. She used the wooden boxes piled up randomly around her to gain leverage, and jumped up again. She swung out a thin blade with one hand, and embedded it into the throats of the Blood Surplus people who came to stop her one by one. Then she drew out the dagger behind her back and pierced He Lianzhu's throat from the back of his neck.
She secretly spat out a mouthful of residual blood, turned around, landed lightly on the bow of the boat, and shouted:
"The commander is dead, and your Night-Eating Mother Gu is no longer effective. You don't need to be burdened by it! If you wish to return to our Da Sheng, this commander will welcome you. But if you still have unfulfilled wishes, as long as you don't become an enemy of our Da Sheng, then the world is vast and you are free to roam freely!"
As soon as Bai Lu finished speaking, several low-level blood residue people were like wild horses that had broken free from their reins. They each sailed away in their boats and dispersed.
The few people who had just exchanged blows with Bai Lu in the same boat looked at each other in bewilderment. After half a cup of tea, one of them finally stood up, knelt on one knee, and said solemnly:
"Commander Bai is righteous, I am willing to follow Commander Bai!"
Then the remaining few people with 70% blood followed suit and knelt on one knee:
"We are willing to follow Commander Bai!"
"We are willing to follow Commander Bai!"
…
Shengdu, Taiqing Palace.
"How are you, my Royal Brother? What have you been thinking about these days?" Qi Ye stretched out his arms and sighed with a smile, "After all, your Wanxiang Hall is a little small. This place is more suitable for me, my Royal Brother. What do you think?"
Before Emperor Shengde could speak, after the cry of an eagle, a voice that was so familiar to everyone present came from the horizon -
"Oh, Prince Yuyang is really such a grand figure!"
Chen Yu stood on the bald eagle with his arms folded, nodding his head and quietly appreciating everything.
"This...Chen, Chen Yu?"
"This bearing—probably."
"Didn't they just give him a state funeral a few days ago? What about this?"
"Alas, the gods are fighting, please don't bring disaster to us ordinary people, alas."
…
For a moment, there was a lot of discussion everywhere.
"Oh, Marshal Shen, who has been hiding for so long, is here to join in the fun?" Qi Ye smiled and walked out of Taiqing Palace.
Chen Yu glared at him and sneered, "You've been occupying this place for a few days now, do you really think this is your home?"
Qi Ye snorted coldly: "All of this is what I deserve. It is you and the world that owe me this!"
"Prince Yuyang, oh no, should I call you the Lord of Shicha Underground City?" Chen Yu said seriously.
"You've sold official positions, disregarded human life, collaborated with the enemy and committed treason, secretly kidnapped young girls to form the Blood Remnant Army, and now you've even forced the emperor to rebel. These heinous crimes, one after another, even the death penalty won't be enough to quell the public's anger!"
"So what?" Qi Ye asked calmly, "How clean do you think the orthodoxy you uphold is? In the Suining Gate Incident, not only did you force my beloved wife to death, but you also killed or exiled all the ministers who opposed you. The blood debt on your hands is no less than mine!"
Chen Yu frowned: "Stop confusing right and wrong. Just surrender, or else hell won't be able to hold you back after death!"
"I am at least willing to admit what I have done. But my good royal brother, what has he done himself? Ask him yourself, does he dare to admit it?" Qi Ye raised his voice.
"Your people have been controlled. Even if you are here to confuse the public, you can't escape the blame!" Chen Yu responded indifferently.
"Oh? Really?" Qi Ye raised his elbow, moved his fingers, and gestured, "Bring it up!"
Shuangjiang, Xing'er, and the Jingguo Army who were originally lying in ambush were brought up one after another.
Qi Ye held his head high and chest puffed out, saying in a clear voice, "How's it going, Chen Yu? Can you come down and talk properly?"
"You!" Shen Yu was helpless, so he patted the eagle's back, signaling it to leave first, and jumped off the eagle's back.
The two men, who were only about 80% dead, hit Chen Yu's knees with a stick each, forcing him to kneel on the ground, and then pinned him to the ground.
"Chen Yu, Chen Yu, your foolish loyalty is really amusing! Why don't you just hide? I've already let you go. Why are you still doing this for such a—" Qi Ye turned around and glanced at Emperor Shengde with disdain, then turned around and continued, "You old bastard. Are you here to die?"
"The Jingguo Army swears allegiance to Da Sheng until death and will never side with traitors and rebels." Shen Yu said firmly.
"How pitiful! Do you want to know how Duke Jing died?" Qi Ye came closer and looked at him carefully, speaking with a hint of regret in his eyes.
"It's you—" Chen Yu's forehead was already covered with fine beads of sweat, as if he was enduring great pain.
"Chen Yu, you're so smart, why don't you think about it carefully? Why did your royal brother let you fake your death, and why did he send Duke Jinglao to the western battlefield? I admit that I played a small role, just passing the news to the Yue Kingdom. But if your royal brother hadn't been bothered by your father's achievements and deliberately stifled his ambition, I wouldn't have had this opportunity! And of course, thank you for helping me get rid of He Lianzhu."
"Qi Ye, you——" Chen Yu was suffering from old injuries and new injuries, and he was so angry that he vomited a pool of blood.
Qi Ye's face turned cold and he gave the order: "Chen Yu deceived the emperor and attempted assassination. He will be thrown into prison and await his punishment!"
"Let's see who dares—" Qi Xin fired six arrows at once, and several of the 80% Blood Remaining who were trying to take Shen Yu away fell one after another. The remaining Blood Remaining who were trying to surround them also lost their strength due to the pressure from the Superior Zero Blood.
"I'll leave this place to you. I still have to take him to heal his wounds." After Qi Xin gave Zheng Ba instructions, he called back Rongrong and left with Chen Yu.
*
A few years later, Qi Xin returned to his bedroom after court, only to find that his bedroom was covered with heavy red curtains. Standing in the middle was a tall man wearing a phoenix crown and a red veil.
He turned around after hearing the noise, but stumbled because he was not used to the long hem. Then he picked up the hem, took two steps at a time, and ran over excitedly to hug her:
"Xiaojiu, I'm here to marry you——"
——End of the full text——
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The author has something to say: Note:
[1] “Under the shade of an ancient tree, I tied a short tent, and a walking stick helped me across the east bridge. The rain from the apricot blossoms wet my clothes, but the wind from the willows blew on my face without chilling me.” —Zhi Nan, Song Dynasty, “Quatrain”
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