Chapter 33 A Lucky Draw "You're being insolent!" "I apologize."...
The candlelight flickered for a moment.
In the gloomy cellar of Pingling Village, Tang Rou's servant whispered, "Look."
Xie Qianli then stepped forward.
Ying Xi followed and, in the darkness, discerned that the temperature of the cellar had kept the body fresh, confirming that the person on the bed was indeed not a woman.
Tang Rou had delicate features and a straight nose. Even after years of suffering from illness, she still exuded the charm of her prime.
Xie Qianli stared at the bedside for a long time, as if he recognized it.
"The master was the captain of the fifth squad back then, and General Fengze was their captain. The two met in the military camp and became sworn brothers. Later, they developed feelings for each other and thought that one day they would stay together forever."
“But they…” Xie Qianli stopped speaking.
When Xie Qianli realized that both Feng Ze and Tang Rou were men, he suddenly understood why Feng Ze was unwilling to make their relationship public.
Refusing the marriage proposal, the ivory comb... Feng Ze's secret was not well concealed; she had never even considered this possibility.
Perhaps Toyosawa fears being disliked?
The servant said, "The general accidentally caused the death of the Duke of England, and he can't sleep day and night. He wants to confess but doesn't dare to. The high-ranking official who sold him inferior iron ore used this to control him, putting the two of them on the same boat."
"Now that the court is cracking down on corrupt officials, that high-ranking official is about to lose his job. So he threatened General Fengze to assassinate the emperor under the pretext of a flower-viewing banquet, thus completely extinguishing this anti-corruption storm."
"General Fengze returned to Pingling Village, bid farewell to my master, and hid him in the cellar."
"The master believed himself to be a sinner. With his half-crippled body, he had caused the death of a pillar of the court, and might even have killed the emperor. He felt guilty and, after contracting the plague and tuberculosis, he passed away one after the other with General Fengze within a few days."
So that's how it is. Ying Xi finally understood. No wonder Feng Ze never uttered a word until his death. His motives, his mastermind, and all the secrets he kept hidden in his heart could not be revealed.
The servant suddenly looked up.
In the dim silence, a candlelight flickered.
"The master left a will: the body must not be buried!"
"He knows that the descendants of the Duke of Ying will surely come to this place. The money and remains are at the Xie family's disposal. He is willing to be whipped and have his bones crushed and scattered to the winds!"
"Thank you, General!" the servant exclaimed. "I saw it with my own eyes. The two heads of the family were deeply in love, yet they suffered greatly. They never intended to harm anyone, but they sank deeper and deeper into the abyss until they were doomed!"
"My master has been very kind to me. Now that the task entrusted to me is complete, I can no longer live. I am at your mercy and ask the general to punish me!"
After he finished speaking, the servant pulled a short knife from under the bed.
Before he could even draw his sword, Xie Qianli's spear tip deflected it, and the sword fell to the ground.
Xie Qianli lifted the servant with one hand and asked in a cold voice, "Who is the high-ranking official who deceived him?"
The one who killed my father, the one who plotted to assassinate the king, the one who harmed my deputy general, the one who caused the innocent sacrifice of soldiers... all of them were this mastermind.
Xie Qianli, harboring the urge to immediately stab this man to death with the Youlong E, transformed into an uncontrollable beast.
The servant answered with difficulty, "Feng—Feng Yong!!!"
...
***
On the mountain road in mid-spring, a strong wind blew at night, and the howling wind sounded like the howling of ghosts.
Funeral banners fluttered everywhere, and paper money danced in the air.
In a secluded corner of Pingling Village, a servant carried Tang Rou's body out of the cellar to find a place to bury her.
The money and tokens left by Feng Ze in the cellar indeed contained records of transactions related to Feng Yong, which was irrefutable evidence to convict Feng Yong.
Yingxi tucked them into her sleeves.
Under the moonlight, Ying Xi revealed a smile that was both radiant and cruel, a smile that was both intensely angry and utterly ruthless.
No wonder Feng Yong refused to leave the Ministry of Personnel, even though he was openly and secretly ridiculed; he came here to make money.
No wonder Feng Yong was willing to flatter Su Xueyi and let her treat him like a mere accessory or a useless person; he was just trying to make money off her.
No wonder Lian Qing made a slip of the tongue that day, accidentally pointing his finger at Feng Yong and cursing him for being haunted by Xie Ji's ghost, which scared Feng Yong into fainting. He had a guilty conscience.
He loves money.
Unexpected.
Feng Yong, that smiling tiger, wronged him in his previous life, causing the deaths of Xie Ji and countless elite soldiers!
If Xie Ji were still alive, Qin would have had another capable minister who could lead troops.
If those soldiers hadn't died, the Qin army would have had even more fighting strength.
But that's just a hypothetical.
Ying Xi will not let Feng Yong off the hook!
A long whistle blew, and the sound of horses' hooves approached from afar, like white lightning piercing the night.
A black falcon appeared out of nowhere and circled overhead.
Xie Qianli's face was cold and gloomy. He led the horse over and spoke even less than before: "I will first escort you back to Chang'an. Mount your horse."
Ying Xi should not stay any longer. She cannot wait for Lang Xun to join her, nor is it appropriate for her to use the system in front of Xie Qianli.
"Um."
In the darkness, Xie Qianli's mount's coat gleamed white. The white horse neighed and lowered its head as soon as it saw Ying Xi, waiting for him to climb onto its back, showing extreme habit and obedience.
This greatly surprised Tian Tong: "Dog's horse knows His Majesty???"
Ying Xi's mind was entirely focused on her anger at Feng Yong for deceiving her superiors and subordinates, which was utterly rebellious and infuriating. How could she possibly explain herself?
Furthermore, he received a series of major news items tonight, which he needed time to process, so he remained silent.
Xie Qianli then mounted his horse, slung the dragon-slaying sword behind him, and went around Ying Xi to pick up the reins.
At this moment, Xie Qianli noticed that Ying Xi was almost completely enveloped by his own presence. The heavy armor made him appear even taller, while he made Ying Xi look thinner and thinner. In the moonlight, the back of Ying Xi's neck was dazzlingly white, like the moon in the clouds and snow on a high mountain. Xie Qianli looked away.
"drive--"
The force of the impact caused Ying Xi to lean backward rapidly.
So, covered in the fragrance of the palace, he stumbled into the metal wall.
He smelled a familiar scent, the mixture of Xie Qianli's metallic chill and the fragrance of herbs.
Sweet Tong: "..."
Sweet Tong: "..."
With so many options available, Sweet Tong (a popular Taiwanese singer) doesn't know which one to choose first.
The host remained silent, which made Tian Tong very frustrated.
The dark falcon, tired of flying in the wind, fluttered its wings around the galloping horse before finally landing on Ying Xi's shoulder, hopping slightly, shy and obedient.
Sweet Tong: "!!!"
Sweet Tong: "~~~"
So eagles know their hosts too! Wow!
At this moment, silence speaks louder than words. Sweet Tong has countless topics she wants to discuss with her host.
But the host seemed very unhappy, as did General Xie.
The two were pressed close together, yet each possessed a dignified and imposing aura.
Tian Tong saw Xie Qianli's hand controlling the reins. The veins on the back of his hand were bulging, as if it possessed a terrifying power capable of tearing everything apart.
Sweetie said weakly, "That big wolfhound is so fierce."
Ying Xi: "He's going to seek revenge."
Warhorses are many times faster than chariots!
On both sides of the mountain road, trees flew rapidly backward.
Xie Qianli's hot breath brushed against Ying Xi's ear, finally making Ying Xi turn around: "Xie Qing."
He did not answer.
"Xie Qianli."
He gritted his teeth.
Ying Xi, on horseback, clearly reminded him: "I know you want to kill your enemy, but if you don't stand trial in court, and you rush into the mansion tonight and kill Feng Yong, it will be a serious crime according to the laws of Qin. Calm down."
He also wanted to use Xie Qianli, but once he locked him up in jail, he wouldn't be useful anymore. Ying Xi pondered.
Persuading someone from horseback is only half as effective.
He had to look up, so he couldn't fully see the other person's expression, but he could see Xie Qianli's tightly clenched jaw.
"I grant you permission to carry out the execution yourself."
"I will punish him and order you to have him torn to pieces. Do not seek revenge directly against him."
"Xie Qianli?"
"..."
Ying Xi looked up, her forehead brushing against the tassel on Xie Qianli's silver helmet. She saw a trace of blood on Xie Qianli's lips, drawn from biting them.
The other person is suffering.
Ying Xi saw a fierce beast, badly wounded but still holding on. After a moment's consideration, he decided to temporarily set aside the blood feud between the two.
They wanted to offer more terms to divert the other party's attention.
But then she was drawn to the distant city, which should have been under curfew at night. For some reason, Ying Xi saw the Golden Gate wide open beneath the towering city walls! Thick smoke billowed straight into the sky!
The smell of burning filled the air, and cries of agony echoed throughout the room.
Those who were fighting the fire, those who were escaping, and those who came from all over to provide support kept moving in and out of the gate.
The Golden Gate seemed to be forcibly awakened, bursting forth with a bright light in the thick darkness, just as its name suggests.
The city is on fire.
***
Inside the Golden Gate.
The fire at the ironworks workshop not only killed the people involved in the substandard iron ore incident, but also destroyed all the evidence of the crimes committed by the craftsmen who conspired with Feng Yong.
The wind is strong tonight, and everyone in the mansions is afraid that the fire will reignite, so they are all packing up their belongings, and there is chaos everywhere.
The arsonist's residence in Jude Lane provided the perfect opportunity for escape.
Feng Yong had already ridden his horse and left Chang'an ahead of everyone else.
The Feng family is still busy loading the trucks.
The servants were so busy they barely had time to breathe.
Butler Cao Mingfang was overseeing the evacuation. He was dark-skinned and thin, with more white than iris in his eyes; he looked fierce and shrewd.
"Steward Cao, all the supplies we disguised as water trucks have been evacuated from the city!"
"Those dozens of antique porcelain vases clanged and rattled as they were being loaded into the waterwheel; they really didn't look like water. What should we do?"
"Fill in the straw!"
"We're running out of straw, so we've already filled it with quite a bit of silver ingots."
"Let it go if you should."
The servant immediately agreed.
Cao Mingfang paced uneasily in the courtyard. He had accompanied Feng Xiang and knew that Feng Yong was essentially a shameless and greedy smiling tiger.
Feng Yong's escape means he knows disaster is imminent. The manor where he is temporarily staying is only twenty or thirty miles from the capital, so he should leave as soon as possible.
Steward Cao hastily directed his men to pack up the last cart of valuables, and the cart was then dispatched.
Butler Cao breathed a slight sigh of relief.
The Prime Minister's residence had about a hundred servants, half of whom were taken away by Feng Yong. The remaining fifty were all quite capable and strong.
The burly man leading the group asked Cao Mingfang, "Steward Cao, are those maids being held in the west courtyard?"
Those were all female slaves who had been sold into servitude and registered as slaves.
Taking them away is not worthwhile, but keeping them might reveal their whereabouts.
Cao Mingfang slightly raised her relaxed eyelids: "Set it on fire. Burn this Prime Minister's residence down too."
The burly man immediately agreed and started the fire in the west courtyard. The screams rose and fell, no different from the wails of the residents outside the Prime Minister's residence.
Cao Mingfang's expression remained unchanged. He put on a silk robe, mounted his horse, and led the remaining dozens of strong servants, riding towards the direction of Jin Guang Gate, with the goal of meeting up with Feng Yong outside the city.
This desperate group of horses galloped away in a chaotic rush!
Cao Mingfang moved from inside the city to outside the city.
Xie Qianli then moved from outside the city to inside.
The two were traveling in opposite directions and happened to meet on the main street of Judefang.
Dozens of black horses swiftly passed by a white horse, like flowing water.
On horseback, Xie Qianli and Cao Mingfang looked at each other.
Cao Mingfang could certainly recognize Xie Qianli, after all, the Longwu Army's white clothes and silver armor were too conspicuous, not to mention that he was carrying the Youlong E.
Cao Mingfang was greatly alarmed!
He knew his master's family had done something immoral, but he didn't believe that the Duke of England, with his noble status, would recognize someone as insignificant as himself.
As the horses missed their mark, Cao Mingfang forced herself to remain calm.
Xie Qianli had already noticed the strange behavior of the cavalry, and his intuition made him want to investigate. However, to ensure the emperor's safety, he furrowed his brows and, on a sudden inspiration, hid Ying Xi in his cloak and hugged her tightly.
Like carrying a treasure but not showing it to others.
Ying Xi was dressed in women's clothing, her soft hair hanging down. She tried to push Xie Qianli away with her fingertips, but he grabbed her wrist. Clearly, she hadn't been up to anything since outside the city. She looked incredibly charming.
Cao Mingfang was stunned: This Duke of England is quite the ladies' man.
Steward Cao whistled and spurred his horse to continue outwards.
But where Butler Cao couldn't see—
As soon as they arrived at a safe place, Xie Qianli was freed by Ying Xi. The emperor rubbed his wrist and glared at him fiercely.
"How dare you!"
"Your subject is guilty."
But he didn't bother to explain that he had offended the king. Instead, he took Ying Xi from behind and settled her in a reliable house in Jude Lane.
Xie Qianli released the falcon.
The black falcon would immediately report to the Longwu Army that someone would protect the emperor back to the palace, and that Lian Qing was nearby.
If he doesn't chase after it now, that treacherous and harmful worm will escape.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
