Chapter 34 The bright moon shines on me, on the one I misunderstood and hated...
Night had fallen, and the distant sky flickered between light and darkness. The fire at the Feng residence had caused yet another chaotic conflagration. The fire brigade, which had just been fighting a fire at the ironworks workshop, rushed off to put out the blaze.
In the residence of a low-ranking military officer in Judefang, Ying Xi had just been put to sleep and was fast asleep.
Outside the military officer's residence—in front of and behind the house, in the trees, and in the shadows at tricky angles—several masked men dressed in black, almost blending into the night, exchanged glances and secretly surrounded the small courtyard.
The masters were highly trained and could move so silently that the emperor was completely unaware.
Ying Xi turned over again, her body relaxed, and she had a long, broken dream.
In his dream, he left his hometown in Jiangnan and could not return, secretly hating the Chang'an court.
Yingxi stood under the flowering tree in Fanglan Palace, gazing up at the boundless sky outside the palace. Just then, she saw the boy who had climbed the tree with his bare hands to the top of the palace to meet her, all in order to pluck a magnolia branch to give to his mother.
...Xie Qianli.
In his dream, he was surrounded by the other person's silhouette, seeing clear skies and brilliant light, and feeling precious freedom even while in a palace.
He was filled with envy, and stumbled and staggered as he approached.
Then Xie Qianli led him out of the somber palace, and they rode white horses together in the countryside, with a newly trained black eagle perched on their shoulders. The little black eagle was only recently born, fluffy, and could only make some weak cries like pigeons.
In my dream, the shallow grass barely covers the horse's hooves; how beautiful spring is!
Ying Xi was mesmerized by the riotous flowers. Her dream was deep and she couldn't wake up.
Beyond the dream world.
"twitter--"
The fierce black falcon pecked and snapped, driving Lian Qing to the small courtyard.
Lian Qing was extremely annoyed, but dared not get angry with the bird. He could only order it around like an old landlord driving his farmhands to work in the fields. The bird was very intelligent, but he didn't know what task his general had assigned him that made him so anxious.
Lian Qing led the soldiers into the courtyard.
The hidden masters outside quietly dispersed.
The homeowner knew them well, so there was no need for pleasantries. He simply said, "General Xie left someone in the house."
Who would stay out so late at night?
Lian Qing thought to himself, then stepped into the room and saw a woman in a blue cloth dress sleeping on the bed.
Although the woman's clothes were simple, her figure was elegant. The silk quilt outlined her alluring silhouette. She was hunched over facing the wall, her shoulders and back perfectly proportioned, making one want to hold her in their arms.
Lian Qing's eyes lit up—"It's a good thing you kept it!"
But at that moment, the woman seemed to find it noisy outside and said coldly, "Jade Mirror."
Grand Steward Yu Jing?
Lian Qing felt a sudden tightness in her chest, but still held onto a sliver of hope. Although Steward Yu was refined and handsome, our General had a real advantage. You should think carefully, young lady.
He was still making plans.
The person on the bed turned over.
The lantern light illuminated Ying Xi's face, like a piece of cold white jade covered with a delicate veil, a face of indescribable nobility.
Lian Qing's hands, which were holding the lantern, trembled uncontrollably, and his knees buckled: "Your Majesty..."
The generals behind him were also terrified and followed suit, bowing and saying, "Your humble servants pay their respects to Your Majesty!!!"
***
With the Dragon Warriors protecting her, they escorted Ying Xi out of the courtyard.
The emperor had already taken off his women's clothing and did not return to Weiyang Palace. Instead, he immediately issued an edict to mobilize all available manpower to participate in the second fire rescue in Judefang and to arrest Feng Yong's entire household.
Lian Qing immediately took people to handle it.
The emperor himself visited Judefang to oversee the firefighting efforts, demonstrating how much he valued the people.
In the hazy light and shadow, the emperor, who always resided in the deep palace, did not shy away from the dangers of the fire.
Ying Xi oversaw the work with his hands behind his back, and all departments worked together with great effort. No one dared to slack off at this critical juncture, and the firefighting efficiency improved significantly. The second fire was extinguished many times faster than the first.
The Feng residence in Jude Lane was almost completely reduced to ashes.
Lian Qing led his men in to search, and came out covered in dust to report: "Apart from finding more than a dozen charred female corpses in the west courtyard, the Left Prime Minister's residence is an empty shell!"
"Alive?"
"No one survived!"
Ying Xi frowned: "They ran away."
The emperor's expression was terrifying beyond belief.
Lian Qing, not understanding his meaning, swallowed hard and said, "What about Prime Minister Feng? — This subordinate will go find him again!"
As soon as Long Wujun finished speaking, at the end of the long street, more than a dozen officials dressed in court robes, led by Su Xueyi, hurriedly came from the Ministry of Personnel to the emperor's side, and in an instant, they all knelt down.
"Your Majesty, we, your humble servants, pay our respects!"
"I am uneasy," Ying Xi said, her gaze coldly sweeping over the assembled officials. "Do any of you know why the fire started?"
The officials exchanged bewildered glances. The emperor then presented the evidence gathered in Fengze, along with the confession of Tang Rou's servant. The evidence was shocking.
Lian Qing collapsed to the ground, utterly devastated: "Feng Ze... he... the Marshal was killed by Feng Yong..."
"You surnamed Feng! I won't let you get away with this! I'm going to kill you!!!" Lian Qing sprang up from the ground, his face covered in charred black from the fire, but his eyes were bloodshot.
Meanwhile, several soldiers of the Longwu Army were so enraged that their teeth were practically broken, and hatred filled their faces.
Su Xueyi was the one who especially underestimated Feng Yong's abilities.
Because of his arrogance and overconfidence, Feng Yong took advantage of the situation. Although he had a premonition that something was amiss, he was still a step behind the emperor.
Su Xueyi's heart trembled as she looked up at Ying Xi.
He immediately tried to salvage the situation, saying, "This person isn't hard to find. Your Majesty, please issue an order for the Dragon Martial Army to lead their military dogs out of the city and search in different directions. Although the troops are fleeing in different places, they will eventually converge in one place, leaving behind the smell of burning smoke along the way. A thorough search will be enough to find them..."
But I need it done quickly, Ying Xi thought.
If the group they just encountered was indeed Feng Yong's remnants, Xie Qianli might have already caught up with them.
Xie Qianli, dressed in white and silver armor, was known to everyone in Chang'an, and his identity had long been exposed!
He has a blood feud with Feng Yong!
If the other party sees him, they will definitely spare no effort to kill him!
Xie Qianli pursued alone, filled with murderous hatred. Who could have imagined what would happen when the two sides met openly?
If reinforcements arrive even a moment late, the Qin Dynasty could lose another renowned general!
What a loss...
Yingxi felt a pang of anguish.
That sense of heaviness was mixed with the worry he was unwilling to admit, while what flashed before his eyes was that bright and beautiful dream.
"Xiao Xi".
"Fanglan Palace is too stuffy, let me take you outside."
"I have just received a horse from my uncle and am on imperial orders to go on a spring outing. Which of you dares to stop me?"
Even though he is now an emperor, the past is like a scar that is hard to touch.
Ying Xi didn't want to think about it anymore.
A stinging sensation in his nose caused his lips to twitch slightly. He suppressed all his emotions, telling himself that Xie Qianli could not die hastily in order to change his fate.
Ying Xi commanded:
"By imperial decree, search all around Chang'an, sparing no expense and sparing no effort, and find Feng Yong immediately!"
***
The outskirts of Chang'an.
This is a manor built on the mountainside of an unnamed wild mountain. The courtyard is spacious, the road outside is flat, and there are dense and tall miscellaneous trees surrounding the courtyard, completely enclosing it.
A winding path leads to this place.
As night deepened, the path was soaked with blood, as if ink had been splashed on it.
The air was thick with the stench of rusty blood, and the fierce battle just moments before was still vivid in her mind. Cao Mingfang wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and ordered the few remaining strong servants to clean up the corpses lying everywhere.
"It was...terrifying." Cao Mingfang didn't even dare to recall it.
They had just arrived at the village, unloaded their cargo, and resumed their original identities.
The manor gate was smashed open by a long spear, and Xie Qianli rushed to the front.
They already knew the truth without needing to verify it, so Cao Mingfang immediately organized a group of people to surround and suppress them.
They had many people, with swords, spears, and bows and arrows, but Xie Qianli was all alone.
Moreover, this manor was a retreat that Feng Yong had long ago planned. Not only were there the original servants of the Feng family, but Feng Yong also used money to buy a large number of rebel soldiers to serve as his private army, protecting the manor like an iron barrel.
However, they still underestimated Xie Qianli's strength.
The crowd surrounded him, forming a human wall, but anyone who encountered the spear was pierced through! A cacophony of screams filled the air, and flashes of silver and blood mingled wildly!
In the end, those seemingly brave and fierce private soldiers would take a step back for every step Xie Qianli took forward, and the circular human wall would move back a step accordingly.
Under the moonlight, the white robes and silver armor lost their original color, and Xie Qianli looked like a demon who had crawled from hell to earth, ready to take lives.
The fierce battle lasted for almost half an hour, with countless soldiers of the Feng family killed or wounded, but Feng Yong had not yet shown himself. Feng Yong was cowardly and cunning. He was the first to leave Chang'an and come to the manor, but fearing further unforeseen events, he hid there and did not show himself, hiding himself very well.
People continued to rush over from up the mountain and down the mountain to lend a hand, with groups of henchmen approaching.
"Cast the net! Cast the net!"
Suddenly, a shout rang out from the manor.
Private soldiers, lying in ambush in the watchtowers surrounding the manor, spread out a dense array of fishing nets from top to bottom. The nets stretched as far as the eye could see.
The layers of fishing nets overlapped, and the nets were extremely tough. They were good at using softness to overcome hardness, which restricted Xie Qianli's movements and trapped countless Feng family soldiers inside the nets!
Cao Mingfang immediately made a decision and ordered the sentries to fire arrows.
Arrows rained down, and people fell one by one in the fishing net. Xie Qianli was like a trapped beast being hunted down, and finally he was caught in the fishing net and surrounded by Feng's family soldiers.
"Release sleeping gas! Release sleeping gas now!"
Smoke rises.
Cao Mingfang covered his face with his sleeve and held his breath. He saw Xie Qianli's tall body fall down like a snow mountain collapsing. His eyes flashed with a sharp light as he thought to himself, "What kind of achievement is this?"
He captured the general who quelled the Qingniu Rebellion, a fierce general who became famous at the age of seventeen, and Xie Qianli, the Duke of England who struck fear into the hearts of his enemies on the battlefield.
Cao Mingfang was overjoyed and triumphantly ordered his servants, "Tie them up tightly. Go and report to Prime Minister Feng immediately."
The two strong servants went as ordered.
Then Steward Cao ordered that torches be lit around the manor, and ordered a group of strong servants to tie Xie Qianli to a wooden frame. Several servants then lifted the Youlong E and displayed it in the middle of the courtyard.
The edges of the spear shaft were tinged with fire by the torchlight. Blood continued to drip from its top to its bottom.
At this moment, the manor gates opened, and two teams of assassins cleared the way. Surrounded and protected by the assassins, Feng Yong strolled over from the other side of the courtyard.
Feng Yong squinted, his hands behind his back. He was slightly chubby and had a somewhat smiling face. Apart from that, he was unremarkable in every way!
Who could have imagined that it was his insatiable greed and rampant corruption that led to such heavy losses for the imperial court?
"Prime Minister Feng," Cao Mingfang hurriedly ran over to claim credit, "this kid was too difficult to catch. A hundred or eighty men died before we finally managed to capture him with my help."
A night breeze swept through the courtyard, causing the torches to tremble suddenly.
The flickering firelight illuminated Xie Qianli's blood-stained face. Even though he was at a disadvantage, his handsome features were still undeniable, and he possessed a tragic air of a beast at its end.
A bucket of cold water was poured on!
Having broken free of the drug's effects, Xie Qianli, his nose and eyelashes wet with water, stood tall and proud, head held high, eyes bloodshot, his voice hoarse: "Feng Yong..."
He wanted to move, his gaze capable of tearing Feng Yong to shreds, but his wrists were bound by hemp rope, so he could only struggle.
Upon seeing this, Feng Yong clapped his hands and laughed: "Capturing Lü Bu alive at White Gate Tower is nothing special."
"General Xie, the Qin Dynasty is declining and its demise is imminent. Therefore, I have only ever sought wealth and have no desire to make enemies. If you hadn't investigated this matter on your own, you could still be your Duke and control the Dragon Martial Army. How foolish would you be?"
Feng Yong's smile lines were chillingly cold.
Behind Feng Yong were truckloads of people's wealth, which had not yet been cleared and stored away, and whose origins were unknown.
Xie Qianli remained silent. As Feng Yong approached, the muscles beneath his armor tensed, and he tried to struggle for a few more moments.
But the rope seemed far too thick, and the contrast between his eagerness to kill his enemy and his helplessness fueled Feng Yong's arrogance.
Feng Yong approached and said, "You're an idiot, and so is your father."
"He is a Duke, and also the son-in-law of the emperor, yet he wants to pursue those illusory fame and fortune."
"The young emperor's money, the Dragon Martial Army's military expenses, and the British Duke's family's assets that were given to the court, and more than that, are all now in my hands."
"They suffer, either alive or dead, but I am the only winner. You all used to call me a good-for-nothing, but now who can be happier than me?!"
Years of oppression and contempt mixed with the regret of suddenly becoming rich but having no one to share it with, Feng Yong shook his head with his hands behind his back, then drew a short knife from the waist of the assassin.
The knife was extremely thin, gleaming with a cold light.
Feng Yong walked out of the encirclement of assassins until he was face to face with Xie Qianli.
He thrust his knife fiercely, piercing the gap in Xie Qianli's armor plates!
Xie Qianli's face suddenly turned deathly pale, and a string of blood beads dripped down.
Feng Yong gripped the hilt of his knife and grinned sinisterly: "I won't stab you in any vital areas. I'll just waste your energy. If Ying Xi sends someone after us, your life will be our bargaining chip in the end."
In an instant, excruciating pain mingled with Ying Xi's name.
As the image entered Xie Qianli's heart, what appeared before his eyes was the vibrant springtime scene and a sea of magnolia blossoms.
The emperor who was once within reach, but is now high above, the young emperor whom he had misunderstood and hated countless times, always gave him the same answer: "Xie Qianli, I believe in you."
believe……
Xie Qianli lowered his eyes, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips.
But based on this belief, he couldn't let Feng Yong get away with it!
Xie Qianli suddenly raised his gaze, his eyes sharp and piercing.
Feng Yong instantly stepped back and released his short sword. His pupils reflected Xie Qianli's arms exerting force, causing the wooden frame to tremble.
Immediately afterwards, the wooden frame was pulled out of the ground, and Xie Qianli, carrying the several hundred-pound wooden frame, slammed it hard!
Feng Yong screamed and fell several feet away, nearly fainting from fright: "Hold him down... he's trying to break free..."
Several suicide squad members charged forward.
Xie Qianli threw himself on Tingliao, enduring the pain as he rolled into the fire. The fire burned through the hemp rope, and the firewood sizzled and rolled about.
With blood at the corner of his mouth and seeping from under his nails, Xie Qianli snatched the weapon from one of the assassins.
He should have been on the verge of death from such severe injuries, yet he transformed from a demon into a grim reaper.
He drew his sword, and two people fell heavily to the ground in front of him.
Xie Qianli vomited blood, and with a stubborn madness in his eyes, resolutely said, "Feng Yong, I'm leading you."
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