Chapter 252: Only Victory, Not Defeat
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Huo Family Mansion
"The princess is not only beautiful, but also has beautiful nails." The maid gently peeled away the petals wrapped around her fingertips. Seeing her master's fingertips dyed red by the nail polish, she smiled ingratiatingly. "You are the prince's only sister, and your status is precious. Shan Qing, who serves the prince, always secretly asks the princess if she has a favorite boy. It's likely that the prince wants to arrange a marriage for you."
"What a joke." Princess Jiayang lazily opened her eyes, raised her fingers and looked at them one by one. "There are very few men in this world that I like. Even Ji Heng is just a toy to entertain me. In terms of appearance, the newly appointed doctor of the Ministry of Revenue is not bad."
"My princess, are you talking about the winner of this year's provincial examination?" The maid shrugged, looking somewhat reluctant. "But I heard he came from a humble background, with no connections. My princess is a daughter of a wealthy family, so even a son of a wealthy family wouldn't be suitable for her."
"A son of a royal family?" Princess Jiayang snorted coldly and lay back down leisurely. "In a few days, there will be no royal family to speak of. When my brother completes his hegemony, I will be the most noble woman in Daqi. I will have power and wealth. Instead of marrying someone, I might as well take in a few handsome men as my concubines. It would be a delight to keep them by my side."
"Princess!"
The door of the wing room was suddenly pushed open. It was still dark outside. The man was holding a lantern, and the light reflected on his ashen face.
"Shanqing?" Princess Jiayang rested her hands on the back of the chair and leaned back on the soft pillow. "What did my brother send you to deliver again?"
Shan Qing didn't dare to hide it and hurried into the house, "Princess, there's trouble outside. The prince is concerned about your safety and has sent a subordinate to take you away."
"Leave?" Jiayang paused, bit his lip and then released it, "Jiang'er, go pack your belongings--"
"Princess, it's too late. You don't need to take those material possessions." Shan Qing saw that she was still trying to pack her bags and hurriedly stopped her. "The prince will lead his troops to attack the city as early as tonight. Princess, please leave with your subordinates first. When the prince captures the capital, you will have countless gold and silver treasures. Don't worry about these."
"Attack the city?" Jiayang was silent for a moment, then realized something was wrong and immediately stood up, not caring about anything else. "Jiang'er, leave with me quickly and don't alert anyone else."
The little maid's face turned pale and she replied in a low voice, "Yes."
Not long after, the corner door of the Huo family's old house shook slightly, and then someone opened it a crack from the inside. Jiang'er stuck his head out and looked around. Seeing that there was no one around, he bravely opened the door.
Jiang Er stretched out her arms to hold the umbrella, "Princess, be careful."
Jiayang had already changed into a linen dress worn by a maid, and had her hair tied up neatly. All the gold, silver, pearls and jade that were originally on her bun were hidden in the bag. The situation was urgent, so she could only take these.
If her brother fails, she can still rely on these jewelry to survive for a while.
"Princess, the carriage is at the street corner, waiting for you." Shan Qing walked quickly beside her, his face dark, and he looked up at the sky from time to time, afraid that if he dawdled any longer, it would be dawn. "As long as we move quickly, we can definitely get out of the city."
But just as he finished speaking, he smelled a bloody smell coming from the street corner in the distance.
Shan Qing looked up in a hurry, but saw a scene that he would never forget.
It was drizzling, and the brothers he ordered to wait there were beheaded, their blood spread all over the ground, and were washed away by the rain.
Shan Qing's eyes suddenly widened, and he yelled at the top of his lungs, "Shan Yun!"
The river of blood appeared in Jiayang's eyes. Her face was filled with fear and her body trembled uncontrollably.
The next moment, a scimitar stabbed from behind. Shan Qing was suddenly shocked and looked back in a daze, but only met a pair of cold eyes.
"Thief, prepare to die."
The man drew out his scimitar, raising a cloud of blood. Shanqing leaned weakly against the wall, his eyes bloodshot, staring straight at Jiayang. He could no longer make a sound, and could only pull his lips with all his strength.
"run."
The rain fell along the edge of the umbrella, and Jiayang could only vaguely make out his lip movements.
Shanqing told her to run, run quickly.
Jiayang looked a little dazed, but he took a quick step forward and ran away without even daring to look back.
Jiang Er's screams were heard from behind, followed by the sound of a sharp blade piercing flesh, "Princess, don't look back!"
Without someone to hold an umbrella for her, Jiayang could only dive into the rain, holding up her long skirt, and run wildly as if she was risking her life.
The carriage prepared by his brother for him was within reach. Jiayang reached out for the reins, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise, and the hope of survival flashed in his eyes.
Unfortunately, before she could touch the rope, someone grabbed her collar and pulled her backwards with great force, then threw her to the ground.
Jiayang fell to the ground in a mess, her delicate palms pierced by the gravel on the ground, causing her excruciating pain. She resigned herself to her fate, closed her eyes, and waited for the scimitar to pierce her body.
"Want to die? It's not that easy."
The man tied her hands and feet with a thick rope used to tie animals. When she opened her eyes and was about to cry out, he cut a piece of rag from a dead body and stuffed it into her mouth, then tied a hemp rope around her mouth to prevent her from spitting out the rag.
After finishing everything, the man threw Jiayang onto the carriage and drove away.
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Zhou Mansion
"Master, you are still dressed so late, where are you going?"
The woman was awakened by the noise beside her. Her eyes were still bleary and her eyelids were a little swollen. She thought her master was going to some seductress's courtyard and said dissatisfiedly, "It's still raining outside."
"You're so busy sleeping, but do you know the weather in the capital is about to change?" Master Zhou glared at her, cursing her for being so ignorant. "It's raining. If it weren't urgent, would I be so stupid? Don't sleep anymore. Hurry and wake up the children. The men will follow me out of the house, and the women will follow you. Hide in the cellar. Remember to lock it, and don't make a sound no matter who comes."
"If I could come back, I would knock on the cellar door, three long and one short. Don't forget it!"
The woman was stunned for a moment, then asked in a low voice, "Master, is there a letter from the boss?"
Mr. Zhou rolled his eyes at her and nodded heavily.
Seeing this, the woman suddenly became anxious. She didn't bother to call the maid and took the clothes from the side. She was so flustered that she even buttoned several buttons incorrectly. "Master, you can go ahead and do your work. I am at home."
"If you can manage the household well, it will save me a lot of worries." Master Zhou sighed, told the servant outside to hold an umbrella, and disappeared into the rainy night.
The Zhou family had four sons, the youngest of whom was fifteen years old, and all of them were called to the main hall.
"Eldest and second son, follow me. Once we reach Cuiyun Mountain, obey the prince's orders. Third and fourth sons, each lead a team of soldiers and guard the city gates. As soon as the main force approaches, break through the gates." Master Zhou put his hands behind his back and glanced at his four sons. "Remember, if we follow the prince, we must be prepared to risk our lives."
"If we lose, the Zhou family will be infamous in history. If we win, we will rise to prominence for a hundred years."
The Zhou family's main hall was filled with a solemn and murderous atmosphere. "In this battle, only victory is allowed, not defeat!"
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