"Brother, chase them quickly." Xu Dali and the others outside the tent heard the oral order read out by Nuoshen. Seeing Pei Zitong rushing out with an angry face, he pushed Tong Bajin.
Tong Bajin didn't move.
Because the Yue people moved, they chased after Pei Zitong and blocked the road to Shangjing in a few leaps.
"Get out of here!" Pei Zitong glared, tears streaming down her face, and fell to the ground along with the letter from the Empress Dowager.
She was no longer a princess. She knew her brother, the Emperor, always kept his word, but she didn't understand what she had done wrong. Wasn't she just captured? Xiong Er was also captured, but he was taken back early.
The oral instructions that Nuo Shen brought had no reason, only results. She didn't understand why she was demoted to a commoner. Looking at the cold eyes of the guards who blocked her way, Pei Zitong knew that the mountains and rivers of Yue Kingdom would only exist in her dreams from now on.
There is no place where the climate and soil cannot support a person. She remembered what her mother once said to her. Her mother was the most honorable princess of Qing Kingdom. She drifted to Yue Kingdom and was out of favor for more than ten years. She squeezed sheep's milk in the coldest days of winter and smashed ice to melt water. What kind of hardships had she not endured?
Pei Zitong wiped away her tears and said, "Go back and tell your emperor that from now on, I, Pei Zitong, only have a mother, no brother!"
She turned around and saw Jane Ning standing behind her.
"Come with me, I will tell you the reason." Jian Ning knew that she wanted to question her royal brother and why he demoted her to a commoner.
She led Pei Zitong aside, away from the guards, and told her the reason. Then she said, "Your mother is from the Central Plains. If you are willing, you can go with us to the Central Plains. I will ask my husband to get you a passport. You can also go to other countries. The world is very big. There are countless countries and tribes to the west. It depends on where you want to go."
"So it was you who harmed me! Why did you want to harm me? I didn't harm you, and I have no grudge against you. You are such a bad woman!" Pei Zitong pointed at Jian Ning's nose and shouted.
Jane Ning's eyes turned cold.
She took a step forward. "Yes, you and I have no past or present grudges. Two countries are at war, each for its own master. The master I'm talking about is the millions of people in the Central Plains! Your master is probably your brother, the Emperor, or your mother!"
"If I hadn't gotten the truth out of you, who knows how many of our soldiers would have died? Without these soldiers who defend our country, who would have protected the common people? Furthermore, it was your Yue Nation that colluded with the Di Rong Jiu Chi to launch an invasion of our Central Plains, not our Central Plains invading your Yue Nation."
"Now that we've won, we haven't taken a single inch of your Yue Kingdom's land, and every time we've taken a city, we haven't harmed a single household. The brothel owner who took your gold lock that day knew to ask our Marshal for justice. Now, if our soldiers entered Yue Kingdom and committed murder, looting, and other atrocities, would she dare to ask our Marshal for justice?"
"But if your Yue Nation wins, things will be different. Your royal brother disregards even blood ties. How can such a vast Yue Nation not even have a roof over your head? He treats his own sister like this. How can such a cold-blooded and heartless king care about the lives of the people of the world?"
Every time Jian Ning spoke, she took a step forward. She advanced and Pei Zitong retreated. After she finished speaking, Pei Zitong retreated to the grass by the roadside. Her foot was tripped by a vine and she fell to the ground, covering her face and crying.
She knew that her brother had always only helped those who were useful to him, such as Xiong Er. She was still young at the time and heard her brother mention this to her mother. Her brother saw that Xiong Er had a bit of blood and ruthlessness, so he gave him money to let him use it to treat his mother.
Her royal brother would not pay any attention to useless people. Her half-brother died of smallpox, and her mother asked her royal brother to bring her sister-in-law and nephews and nieces to the palace. After her royal brother ascended the throne, he ignored his sister-in-law's family. Her niece Meixiang, like her, was married as a gift to the stupid son of the Jiuchi leader and was whipped every day. She sent a letter asking for help, but her mother was already the empress dowager, and it was useless for her to kneel down and beg her royal brother.
Seeing her crying so sadly, Jian Ning sighed secretly, "I have already pointed out the way for you. We will break camp and set off after lunch. If you decide to go to the Central Plains, then you can come with us. It is up to you to decide where to go."
Several guards were guarding the intersection leading to Shangjing until Pei Zitong got tired of crying and turned back to the Yanjun camp, and then they followed her.
Pei Zitong returned to the camp and asked Concubine Li for a piece of cloth, wrapped the box with it, slung it over her shoulder and left. Na Nuo Shen muttered a few words to the guards, and the guards caught up with Pei Zitong on horseback and sent her to the outside of Jishui City. She could no longer enter Yue Kingdom without a certificate, so she turned around, knelt down and kowtowed several times towards Jishui City, then slung her bag over her shoulder and never looked back.
Jian Ning and his men followed the army out of Jishui City three days later. On the way, Erniu and Sanniu followed Su Muyun and other young generals. Su Muyun, Shi Youheng and Qi Pengfei became famous in one battle and were the best in the younger generation of generals. Ma Xiaomai, Dabao, Duan Yu, Ding Gui, Ding Peng and others admired these young generals very much.
The army was going to set up camp in Qishan for the night. Jian Ning and Ding Youtian were preparing to return to the county government office. Qin Yifan, along with the Zhuling County government officials and city defense soldiers, was also planning to return overnight. Sanniu warmly invited Su Muyun and the other three young generals, "Brother Su, would you like to stay at our house? We have several rooms and a large yard, and my mother's cooking is delicious."
"There are also dumplings. The dumplings made by my mother are the best." Erniu added.
Su Muyun smiled and said, "We won't bother you again when you and your family return to the capital. For now, we'll rest wherever the army is stationed."
"Okay then." Sanniu was a little disappointed.
This time, Dabao and Da Niu did not insist on staying in the military camp. They knew that they would have to part with their parents after the army set out, so they followed them into the city and back to the county government office.
Ding Peng and Ding Gui also came. Jian Ning asked Dabao to call them over. After all, they both performed well when they first entered the military camp, especially Ding Gui.
Ma Xiaomai and Qiao Feng were also called by Jian Ning. Yang Jinyu was in a hurry to return to Baisha Town and wanted to leave Xing'an City with Qin Yifan and others. He rushed back overnight. He came to say goodbye. Ding Youtian asked him to have dinner before leaving. After dark, he asked Dabao to ride Qiu Ge to take him back, and he followed them back to the county government office.
Erlangzi came back impatiently. His mother in the palace received the letter and took Xiaochuntian to wait for Jian Ning and others outside the yamen. When she saw Jian Ning and others coming, Xiaochuntian shook off her mother's hand and ran over with her short legs.
"Auntie!"
Jian Ning hurried a few steps and picked her up, then smiled and kissed her little face. "Our little Chuntian is still closer to Auntie. Where's your mother?"
Little Chuntian hugged her neck and said in a baby voice, "My mother is crying, Auntie, my mother said that my uncle is dead. Will Chuntian never see my uncle again?"
When the little guy mentioned Zhuo Qingmu, Jane Ning's mood suddenly became heavy. The war was over and they won, but the victory was achieved with the lives of countless dead heroes. War was really too cruel. She hugged Xiao Chuntian tightly and walked quickly towards the yamen.
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