Chapter 158
At this time, Shen Shen also arrived with the troops from Zuoye Camp. He jumped off his horse and called out to Xie Zheng, "Jiuheng!"
He panted slightly, took a look at the current situation, and said with a somewhat unpleasant expression: "The firearms of the Shenjiying are not in Xiyuan!"
The Zuoye Army under his command had lost nearly half its men after fighting successively with the Shenjiying and the Youye Army sent by Li Taifu. This time they rushed over to support Xie Zheng, truly risking their lives.
"I know."
Xie Zheng stood up, his eyes swept across the dead bodies and blood on the ground, and met Wei Yan's gaze.
It is hard to describe the look in his eyes at that moment: cold, calm, and indifferent.
The sky was bright, the howling north wind was blowing up waves of snow, the rays of light filtering through the clouds in the east cast a golden glow over half of the imperial city. He stood there holding a halberd, the half of his face splattered with blood was covered in the golden glow of the morning glow, he was as handsome as a god, and around him was the coldness of a fierce god or ghost general.
Wei Yan stared at him quietly for a moment before looking at the soldiers of the Zuoye Camp behind him. With an attitude of mastering the overall situation, he asked calmly, "Do you think that one more Zuoye Camp can turn the situation around?"
Xie Zheng raised his head casually and said sarcastically, "We have to try to know whether it can be twisted or not."
He smiled faintly: "I am curious, the Prime Minister doesn't even care about the life of his own son, so which illegitimate child is he fighting for this position for?"
Wei Yan's pale eyes instantly turned cold, and he scolded, "Idiot!"
Xie Zheng's smile turned extremely cold, and he pointed his spear at Wei Yan: "You are not qualified to teach me a lesson!"
Wei Yan seemed to be irritated by Xie Zheng, and he did not directly send out his assassins. Instead, he shouted coldly, "Bring the knives!"
The servants quickly brought over a crescent-shaped sword that was about eight feet long. The blade was simple and had a black dragon pattern engraved on the junction of the blade and the handle. At first glance, it seemed as if a layer of black air was lingering on the sword, which was quite scary.
Wei Yan lifted the long sword that required two soldiers to lift with one hand, and with his wide sleeves waving like the wind, his spirit was no less than those of the veterans who had fought on the battlefield.
In the distance, when He Xiuyun saw Wei Yan holding up the crescent-shaped sword with one hand, he looked as if he had seen a ghost. He turned to look at Tang Peiyi and said, "Uncle Tang, does Wei Yan also know martial arts?"
Tang Peiyi said with a somewhat subtle look, "He should be good at martial arts. In the early years, he was as famous as General Xie and also defended Beiting. But when I joined the army, General He was already in charge of his own affairs. He chose the path of a civil servant, so I have never heard of his martial arts."
On the other side, Wei Yan raised the crescent-shaped sword with one hand and looked at Xie Zheng coldly: "Since I taught you, I can teach you!"
Xie Zheng looked at the man running towards him with a long sword, standing still without moving, but his eyes showed a hint of coldness and hatred. When the five fingers holding the long spear clenched, the blood that overflowed from the palm of his hand where a large piece of flesh had been scraped off dyed the entire handle of the spear red.
He had previously studied under Wei Sheng, along with Wei Xuan and the newly selected death warriors, and had also received instruction from Wei Yan.
From the perspective of martial arts alone, his later fighting style was largely influenced by Wei Yan. Wei Yan's moves were focused on delivering a fatal blow and he never had any unnecessary moves.
Just as the crescent-shaped blade was about to hit his vital point, Xie Zheng raised his halberd and rammed into it fiercely.
Sparks flew from the blade and the blades on both sides of the halberd. Wei Yan turned around and swung the blade back with his backhand to chop the halberd handle again. Xie Zheng's whip kick hit his elbow that was used as a shield, and all the snow on the ground was shoveled away.
The moves were so fast that they were almost difficult to distinguish with the naked eye.
The fight between the two was straightforward, it was just a matter of who was faster and more ruthless.
The guards of the Wei and Xie families stood on each side, watching the battle situation nervously.
When Xie Zheng almost stabbed Wei Yan's neck with his halberd, Tang Peiyi slapped his thigh and shouted, "Good fight! Kill this old thief!"
Fan Changyu, who was fighting with Wei Sheng on the side, also let out a loud roar, and slashed down with a sword that could break gold and jade. Even though Wei Sheng picked up his golden mace in time to block it, he was still shocked by the huge force and took several steps back. His knuckles were torn and he was extremely frightened.
Tang Peiyi felt that the blood clot that was blocking his chest from the previous injury was no longer so painful. He wanted to pick up the knife and go at it himself, shouting, "Niece Changyu, keep chopping him!"
Because he was too emotional, he almost coughed up blood, which made the bodyguards beside him nervous for a while. He Xiuyun also raised his hand to pat his back to calm him down.
The Mo Dao in Fan Changyu's hand was quite heavy. After that powerful chop, she had almost no strength to chop a second time. However, she turned around on the spot, took advantage of the opponent's momentum, and chopped down again with a long whoosh.
Wei Sheng ignored the torn jaws and continued to hold up the golden mace as a barrier, but this time there was a sharp sound of metal breaking.
Mo Dao split the improved golden mace into two pieces. If two Wei Mansion assassins had not jumped out at the same time, knelt on the ground and used two swords to block the remaining force of Mo Dao, Wei Sheng would have been directly split in half by Fan Changyu's sword.
After Fan Changyu chopped with his sword, he felt a little exhausted and stood there gasping for breath, leaning on the handle of the sword.
Xie Shiyi and his men followed behind Fan Changyu, staring at the two Wei Mansion assassins opposite them with a fierce look, as if they would fight them to the end if they dared to continue.
Wei Sheng spat out a mouthful of blood. When he was carried up by the Wei Mansion's assassins, he still looked at Fan Changyu and asked, "Wei Qilin's child?"
He broke free from the support of the assassins, wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand, and said, "You are more capable than your father. The Prime Minister should not have spared your lives."
The ferocity in Fan Changyu's eyes had not yet subsided. He stared at him coldly and said, "The net of heaven is vast and wide, nothing can escape it. Wei Yan owes me, my parents, my grandfather, and the tens of thousands of soldiers who died tragically in Jinzhou. He must pay it back!"
The early sun rose from behind her, and the brilliant light was so blinding that people could not see.
When Wei Sheng heard her talking about Meng Shuyuan, he suddenly stopped talking.
On the other hand, after several clashes between Xie Zheng and Wei Yan, Wei Yan gradually began to show signs of weakness.
He was getting old, and his body couldn't take this kind of fighting style that relied purely on physical strength and endurance.
Xie Zheng's attacks became more and more fierce. He stabbed Wei Yan left and right with his long spear like a spear, as fast as a swimming dragon. Every thrust and thrust was filled with tremendous force, forcing Wei Yan to retreat while passively defending.
The assassins of the Wei residence wanted to rush forward to rescue, but they could not find a gap to squeeze in.
Xie Zheng seemed to be filled with hatred, his jaw was clenched tightly, but he still smiled coldly, his eyes full of mockery: "Teach a lesson? Who are you teaching a lesson for? For my father who was killed by you in Jinzhou? Or for my mother who was forced to death by you?"
Along with the last question, he threw it violently.
His eyes were slightly red, perhaps because of the cold wind, hidden in his hair.
The long spear pierced deeply into the hard granite of the Meridian Gate Square. Wei Yan rolled on the spot to avoid the fatal spear.
The assassins kept by the Wei Mansion hurriedly helped Wei Yan up, took him back a few steps, and stared at Xie Zheng with extreme vigilance.
The cold wind blew into his lungs. Wei Yan was supported by his confidant. After a burst of heart-wrenching coughing, he looked up at Xie Zheng and said, "I can't beat you in bravery now, but if you want to compete with me tonight, it's a joke!"
As soon as these words fell, the archers and crossbowmen on and below the city walls aimed their crossbows and arrows at Xie Zheng and his group. The Jinwu Guards even pulled out a few cannons and set them up on the city walls.
Shen Shen's face changed, and he immediately ordered the archers in the Zuoye Camp to pull their bowstrings to full strength. However, the disparity in numbers made it almost a fight between trapped beasts.
Wei Yan looked at Xie Zheng from afar. In a trance, there was blood in his eyes, but also a hint of sadness.
Tang Peiyi half-lay on the ground, and said to He Xiuyun: "That old thief, he makes me so angry! If we hadn't been guarding the border and hadn't done much in Beijing, he wouldn't have the chance to say such nonsense!"
He Xiujun coughed twice, and felt the same way as a hero at the end of his road. He just said, "General Shen is truly a hero!"
Knowing that Wei Yan had the firearms of the Shenjiying, he still brought the remaining soldiers to help. This courage alone was enough to make people convinced.
Tang Peiyi said: "If I really want to die here today, it would be great if I had all the heroes to accompany me on my way to the underworld!"
Fan Changyu looked at the black holes of the cannon muzzles and the countless arrows flashing with cold light on the city wall. At this moment, her heart was unexpectedly calm. She turned her head to look at Xie Zheng.
The early sunlight and the firelight from the city walls intertwined on his face, which was covered with traces of blood and smoke. He looked cold and resolute, the best-looking he had ever looked.
After discovering that Xiyuan was a setup by Wei Yan, she already knew what she would face this time.
She is not afraid of death, she just doesn't want to accept that they lose like this!
And some...reluctant.
The old people all say that after death, people have to cross the Naihe Bridge, drink Mengpo Soup, and forget everything in this life before they can be reincarnated.
She walked over and stood side by side with Xie Zheng, and without looking away she handed the object in her palm, which was soaked with blood, to him.
Xie Zheng noticed and turned his head slightly to look at her, but Fan Changyu did not turn back. He just said softly: "Xie Zheng, do you believe that people have a next life?"
"I don't believe in ghosts and gods." His voice was deep and slow.
Fan Changyu still looked at the soldiers confronting him and said to him casually, "I didn't believe it at first, but after my parents passed away, I started to believe it again."
She paused, then said in a very soft voice: "If there is an afterlife, please come find me."
Xie Zheng suddenly turned his head and stared at Fan Changyu with a look that only he could understand.
The sky had just cleared after the snow, the rising sun was not yet warm, and the morning breeze carried the smell of smoke and ice and snow. After everything quieted down, the only sound left was the burning sound of the Yanchi Building on one side that had been hit by artillery fire.
In this dead silence, there is the roar of heartbeats.
He said without thinking, "This old guy probably has no more tricks up his sleeve, so let's not waste time with him."
Before Fan Changyu could react to the meaning of his words, a signal flare had already risen high into the sky from Xie Zheng's hand.
Everyone present was stunned by his sudden action.
Xie Zheng glanced at Wei Yan calmly: "The Prime Minister sits high in the temple, playing with power like no other. I'm afraid he is still a little lacking in military strategy."
From the distance came the dull sound of armor colliding, as loud and clear as the ocean tide.
When everyone looked back, they saw the army carrying flags with the word "Thank You" pouring like a tide from the long streets outside the Meridian Gate to the square below the Meridian Gate. The Jinwu Guards standing on the city walls stood high and had a wider field of vision. Looking at the army that stretched as far as the eye could see along the long streets, their faces turned pale almost instantly.
This is only the visible army. There is no telling how many more are blocking the outer city gate and unable to enter the city. This is truly a massive army!
Shen Shen's worry turned into joy, and he looked at Xie Zheng: "Jiuheng, have you been prepared?"
Xie Zheng did not answer, but a handsome man in a brocade white coat and a snow-white fox fur coat came out of the army, waving a feather fan. The first thing he said when he saw Xie Zheng was: "I waited for you for half the night but there was no signal from you. I thought you had been killed in the city!"
Then he held up the feather fan and bowed to Shen Shenqianqian: "Brother Shen, it's been a long time since we last met."
Shen Shen described the wolf as a monkey, but at this moment he couldn't help but laugh: "Brother Gongsun!"
Xie Zheng glanced at Gongsun Yin calmly and said, "Are you in a hurry to go into the city to see what's going on?"
Gongsun Yin was not angry at Xie Zheng's retort, and he bowed to Fan Changyu and said, "General Fan."
Fan Changyu was surprised and delighted: "Mr. Gongsun? You have been outside the city?"
Tang Peiyi, He Xiuyun and others were also extremely shocked.
Tang Peiyi burst into laughter immediately: "I said that our Lord Hou is a master at using troops, how could he possibly be defeated by the old villain Wei Yan!"
He shouted to Wei Yan, "Old thief, hurry up and let your men surrender!"
He Xiujun was also laughing, but his injuries were more serious, and every time he laughed, his internal organs would hurt, so he could only hold back his smile.
Gongsun Yin nodded slightly at Fan Changyu, and seeing that her face and body were covered in blood, he raised an eyebrow and said, "It looks like there was a fierce battle in the city last night."
The army was still pouring down towards the square like a tide. While they were chatting and laughing, the Jinwu Guards and the Five Army Camp soldiers on the city wall were having a very difficult time. Even though they still had bows and crossbows in their hands, they all looked panicked.
This was not a question of the disparity in numbers. A group of Beijing soldiers who had only trained in the camp outside Beijing faced off against the Xie family army who had drunk the blood of the Hu people on the battlefield in the northwest. There was no need for a fight. Just a glance from a distance was enough to shock them from the murderous aura emanating from the thousands of troops below.
The several aides following Wei Yan also looked distraught, but Wei Yan remained calm as ever, quietly looking at Xie Zheng's back through the crowd.
Xie Zheng looked stern and resolute as he looked around the East and West Yanchi Buildings. He said in a deep voice, "Listen, all the soldiers who followed Li and Wei in the rebellion. Those who lay down their weapons and surrender will be given a lighter punishment. Those who resist will be charged with treason!"
The sound was like the sound of broken gold and jade, echoing throughout the Meridian Gate Square.
Anyone could see that Wei Yan's situation was hopeless.
A Jinwu guard threw down the sword in his hand, which hit the floor tiles with a crisp sound. Then the sound of weapons falling to the ground rang out one after another, like beads that had broken off the string. After the first bead fell, the others could no longer be tied together.
But in a moment, the only people who protected Wei Yan in the Meridian Gate Square were the death squads raised by the Wei family.
Gongsun Yin waved his feather fan and said, "Prime Minister, you have been in a high position for a long time, so you should know best how to follow the trend. Now that things have come to this, do you still want to fight to the death?"
Wei Yan looked at Xie Zheng, with many complicated things in his eyes. In the end, all he said was: "I underestimated you."
Xie Zheng looked at him coldly without saying a word.
As the army surrounding Wei Yan and his group tightened their belts, the assassins around him drew their weapons, intending to kill their way out, but Wei Yan calmly raised his hand to stop their actions.
The people around him called him: "Prime Minister!"
Wei Yan simply said, "I made a mistake in my chess game and lost the game."
When the armored guards escorted Wei Yan and the remaining members of Li's party into the Heavenly Prison, the uncle and nephew almost passed each other, but neither of them said a word.
When one mountain collapses, another will rise again.
The golden light of the rising sun filled the imperial city. The soldiers under the command began to treat the wounded and clear the battlefield. Wounded generals such as Tang Peiyi and He Xiuyun were also carried to the nearby imperial hospital for treatment.
The blood and chaos of that night seemed to have faded in the hazy morning light. Only the ground and platforms that had been bombarded by artillery fire still bore charred marks, like scars carved into this magnificent imperial city.
Xie Zheng stood quietly between heaven and earth, his long eyelashes slightly drooping, wondering what he was thinking.
There were peaceful morning clouds at the end of the sky, and the wind seemed to be a little softer, blowing the hair around Fan Changyu's ears. She turned her head to look at Xie Zheng: "Do we win this?"
Xie Zheng nodded "hmm" and raised his eyes to look at the dilapidated yet towering buildings in front of him. A layer of sunlight fell on his thick and long eyelashes, but the color of his eyes was still dark and deep.
Everything is settled.
Gongsun Yin came over and asked, "What should we do with Wei Yan?"
Xie Zheng replied: "Close it for now."
He no longer wanted to stay here. Fatigue from a night of fighting was rising. He held Fan Changyu's hand tightly and said to Gongsun Yin, "I'll leave this place to you."
Gongsun Yin took a look at the bloodstains all over his body and responded magnanimously: "Okay, I'm here. You're injured all over. Go back and find a doctor."
Xie Shiyi cleverly found a carriage, and Xie Zheng grabbed Fan Changyu's hand and got on the carriage. Most of the people present had left, and not many people noticed them. Even those who noticed this scene were all under Xie Zheng's command, and they didn't dare to say much or look too much.
Fan Changyu seemed to be always a step behind in his reaction. Even after getting on the carriage, he was still asking, "Mr. Gongsun is probably bringing 20,000 troops with him. You said yesterday that he could leave. With only one day, it is impossible for Mr. Gongsun to lead his troops to the capital so quickly. They must have been near the capital early in the morning. Is this the thing you said you couldn't tell me for the time being?"
Xie Shiyi drove fast. When the carriage bumped, the curtains swayed and sunlight shone into the carriage. Fan Changyu was dressed in a wolfish coat, and his eyes looked purer and clearer under his long eyelashes that cast a circle of soft light of light golden.
Xie Zheng placed one hand on her side, staring at her quietly, his eyes dark and deep. He did not answer, but raised the thing in his hand and asked Fan Changyu: "What is this?"
Fan Changyu looked at the thing in his palm that was soaked with blood, and only then did he feel embarrassed. Fortunately, his face was stained with blood and sweat, and was already too dirty to look at, and his flushed face could cover it up.
She coughed lightly, turned her face away and said, "Hair."
Xie Zheng's breathing became heavier for some reason, and he stared at her without blinking.
Fan Changyu felt that his gaze could burn a hole in her forehead. She pursed her lips, thinking of the state of mind when she cut off that strand of hair, and she felt a little sad. She said like a broken jar, "I heard that only after tying the hair can you be husband and wife. After I found out that I was tricked in Xiyuan, I thought that going back to find you would be a life-threatening situation, so I cut off a strand of hair. We have been married, although it was fake, but we have also worshipped heaven and earth, but we have not tied the hair. If this life is really only this long, tying a strand of hair can be considered as being husband and wife."
Xie Zheng's heavy breathing sprayed on Fan Changyu's cheeks. He asked her in a deep voice: "You knew you had a narrow escape, but you still came back to find me. Aren't you afraid?"
Fan Changyu said, "I am afraid, but my enemy is there, and you are there too, so how can I not go?"
She raised her hand and touched his face. Thinking of the cold arrow ordered by Wei Yan, she was still frightened: "Fortunately, I went."
Xie Zheng wanted to say that he would be fine even if she didn't come, and he sent her away from the battlefield in the palace because he didn't want her to be in danger. He and Wei Yan were in a stalemate to that point because he was afraid that Wei Yan or Qi Min would have another trick up his sleeve and fail. But at this moment he couldn't say anything.
His heart ached and felt numb as if he was soaking in a warm spring. He lowered his head and held her hand tightly, breathing deeper and deeper. When he raised his head again, his eyes became fierce for no reason.
Fan Changyu was frightened by his look. She didn't know how she had offended him again. The carriage stopped. She lost her balance and fell into his arms. Xie Shiyi's voice came from outside the carriage: "Master, General, we have arrived at the Marquis' Mansion."
Xie Zheng directly dragged Fan Changyu out of the carriage and strode towards the main courtyard.
Seeing this, Xie Shiyi, who originally wanted to find a doctor at home, slowed down his pace and scratched his hair at the back of his head in embarrassment and difficulty.
Should he call the court doctor?
As soon as he entered the room, Xie Zheng kicked the door shut. Fan Changyu was pushed and pressed onto the couch by him, and he lay less than half a foot away from her. Their breaths intertwined, and the smell of blood on his body stimulated Fan Changyu's senses. He seemed to want to kiss her, but suddenly got up and left. He found a dagger from somewhere, cut off a piece of his own long hair, and tied it into a knot with Fan Changyu's hair that was wet with blood.
His voice was deep and hoarse: "We are married and have no doubt about our love for each other. In life, we shall return to each other, and in death, we shall always miss each other. I wanted to marry you again on the wedding day, but you gave it to me in advance, so I won't return it."①
Fan Changyu looked at his stern eyes. She was obviously happy in her heart, but at this moment she suddenly felt a lump in her heart and her eyes were slightly astringent. She glared at him: "Who asked you to return it?"
Xie Zheng stared at her for just a moment before lowering his head to kiss her again, fiercely and tenderly.
He had just been through a bloody battle, his body was still boiling with blood. He saw her risk her life to save him, and heard her promise of an afterlife. The love surging in his chest flowed and collided with his limbs along with the sizzling blood, desperately needing an outlet.
In the chaos, the blood-stained armor was thrown from outside to the side of the hot spring pool in the compartment. In the misty air, Fan Changyu leaned against the pool with golden wound medicine and gauze to bandage his bloody hand. His other hand tightly clasped her waist, his face trembling with water marks, the roots of his hair soaked with sweat, but he still locked his dark and gloomy gaze on her, not daring to blink.
Fan Changyu pursed his lips stubbornly, his eyes were covered with a hazy watery color, his neck was covered with sweat, and his hands were shaking so much that he almost dropped the gauze into the water several times.
After finally wrapping her in gauze, he held her neck and let her snuggle completely into his arms. There was no mercy in his actions and his eyes were dark and gloomy.
Fan Changyu held on until the very end, exhausted and could only lean on his shoulder. In a trance, he heard him whisper hoarsely in his ear: "Changyu, my wife."
The blood flowing through the thin layer of tendons is still restless, but in this warmth, it finds the ultimate tranquility and tenderness.
The author has something to say:
① From Su Wu's "Farewell to My Wife"
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