Chapter 51 051 She hoped he would hurry up.
A cluster of sparks flashed across the horizon. Just as Ling Zizhou and Ling Zizhan were about to react, they felt a blurry figure in front of them, and in the blink of an eye, they had already rushed to the doorway.
In the still of the night, the sounds of fighting raged chaotically, causing panic among the farmers, who locked their doors and windows.
In the dense forest of the mountains, Qingli and Shen Yongning stopped and looked back at the towering flames that erupted from the farm below.
Shen Yongning sneered, feeling extremely pleased with himself for escaping death and having his wish fulfilled.
"You encouraged the planting of explosives."
Qingli wasn't asking a question, but rather making a statement of confirmation. This kind of callous disregard for human life was something he was capable of doing; those people were all brutes and could never have pulled off such a meticulously planned operation.
She glanced at the dagger pressed against her waist behind her, its sharp edge gleaming in the distant firelight.
She looked around again and saw that tall, impatient figure had already rushed into the door. She guessed that he was still looking around for her while fighting, and a wave of sadness welled up in her nose.
He was able to find his way here by following the few traces she left behind, and thus he could see the information left on the wall.
She hoped he would hurry up; she didn't know how long she could suppress the fear in her heart.
She looked away, coldly and indifferently glancing at Shen Yongning, that madman.
Shen Yongning's long-cherished wish was fulfilled, and he was full of pride. He urged her to move forward. As long as they crossed this low mountain, a waiting carriage had been arranged. Then, the sky would be high and the birds would fly freely. He and she could fly side by side, how could they not be happy?
Shen Yongning spoke with obvious smugness, “Those fools, who call themselves heroes and righteous men, are trying to win over these remnants of the vassal kings and plan to kill the emperor. They are just delusional and want to rebel and seize the world. That’s perfect. I’ll grant them their wish.”
“I don’t act impulsively like them; what I want has always been very simple.”
Qingli's breathing became erratic, and she could no longer maintain her composure. A trace of fear was revealed, which made Shen Yongning behind her even more smug. What was his would be his sooner or later. He didn't care about the Prince of Dingxi, Consort Xian, or any love and hate. He could offer advice and schemes, all for the purpose of accomplishing his goal.
He was seriously injured in the alley and was on the verge of death. He survived thanks to the connections left by the vassal kings. With a little bit of dubious encouragement, he managed to break out of Xizhou. He inquired and searched along the way and accidentally heard a woman claiming that her cousin was Meng Qingshan.
They captured the woman, threatened her, and she confessed everything, revealing that she had returned to Kyoto.
It was as if they were telepathically connected. He entered the palace through Consort Xian's arrangement and watched her laugh and play with the princess. Her face became more and more radiant, and her eyes were more lively than ever before.
He thought darkly that she shouldn't be like this; she should be timid and fearful, begging him and flattering him.
The bright moonlight cast dappled shadows on the bare branches of the mountain forest, resembling crisscrossing traps that occasionally entangled the withered grass, making their journey difficult.
When she saw the horse-drawn carriage clattering down the mountain, the thin layer of sweat on Qingli's back was blown away by the wind, leaving only a chill. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, her eyes were filled with resolute determination.
"Are you planning to change your name and go into hiding, keeping me under your control so I can never rise again?"
The dagger sliced across his spine from behind, brushing aside his already disheveled hair. The cold wind from the forest whipped against his neck, causing him to shiver. He exhaled a breath from behind his ear. "It should have been like this three years ago."
Don't speak to petty people.
Qingli felt nauseous at the thought of talking to him again; her stomach churned, and she felt as if she were about to vomit up everything she had shared with him over the past few days.
The wide palace dress fluttered in the wind. Ling Shuyao was safe. Her aunt and grandfather no longer had any grudges against each other. With their joint efforts, they would be able to find out the truth of what happened back then. Everything was moving in a positive direction.
She wants to see it, but she will never again grovel to get it.
She is not the same person she was three years ago; Shen Yongning had forgotten that.
It's just a pity that I can no longer see him, nor can I question him properly about why he could be so heartless as to lose her back then, and witness so many demons and monsters, and see so much malice and cruelty.
She sneered and watched Shen Yongning sway to one side. The cold wind seemed to rush past her ears, the world spun around her, and her body ached from the biting wind. But seeing Shen Yongning's shocked expression, she felt a great sense of satisfaction.
Qingli had already spotted the steep rocks on one side of the path. If she rolled down there, she would veer to the other side. Even if Shen Yongning still wouldn't let go, then she could take her corpse with her.
In the end, Qingli's vision went black, and she felt increasingly cold. The wind seemed to linger in her ears. She thought that perhaps she had fallen to the bottom of the mountain, but the hard, warm object remained.
She struggled to open her eyes, and a sliver of light appeared, revealing a cold, hard face staring at her in a panic.
The moment Meng Qingshan saw her tumbling down the mountain, his heart was already torn to shreds. He barely managed to catch her, and looking at the sharp stones beneath his hand, the relief of surviving made his breath tremble.
He caught her this time, he told himself, carefully placing her on the flat ground, taking the cloak to cover her, and coaxing her in a soft voice, "Wait for me, I'll go kill that person for you."
Shen Yongning withdrew his foot halfway down the step and headed towards the carriage. His ferocious face was terrifying in the moonlight. Hearing the increasingly urgent footsteps behind him, his heartstrings tightened suddenly, and he dared not relax any longer.
A series of powerful whooshing sounds rang out behind him, and a cold wind whistled in his ears. Shen Yongning knew something was wrong, but unexpectedly, the cold arrows seemed to have missed their mark and landed in front of, behind, to the left and right of him, leaving him frozen in place.
The final arrow arrived in an instant, grazing his shoulder. Blood splattered in a line, and the flying sword blade embedded itself in the carriage not far away. The powerful killing intent startled the horse, causing it to gallop forward and reveal a group of people behind it.
Shen Yongning now understood that Meng Qingshan intended to kill him, but having survived a near-death experience, he was not about to give up easily.
"Second Prince, I have been deceived and have no choice but to confess my crimes. The remnants of the vassal kings are deeply entrenched. I am willing to confess my crimes."
Shen Yongning raised his hands in front of him, knelt down on both knees in the small area covered by arrows, and shouted that he had done wrong.
Ling Zizhan frowned, disliking such a person who lacked integrity. He turned his head to look at the Second Prince, his hand holding the reins tightening, clearly deep in thought.
“This man is treacherous. He might try to escape punishment by falsely claiming allegiance to loyal officials of the court. He will be unable to refute this and will only cause trouble for himself. Your Majesty, you must be careful.”
Shen Yongning had once heard the Prince of Dingxi comment on the Second Prince's deep and cunning mind. In an instant, he thought that if he shared his knowledge with the Second Prince, became his advisor, and then took the opportunity to lend him a helping hand, who could predict what the future held?
It was clear that the Second Prince was tempted. When he was abruptly interrupted, he gritted his teeth, knelt down over the arrow, his clothes were torn open, and the skin inside was torn open, which was very convincing. "Second Prince, everything I have said is true. I am willing to swear to the heavens."
Ling Zizhou did not answer, but turned to Ling Zizhan and said, "If we wipe out the remnants of the vassal kings in one fell swoop, it will relieve Father Emperor's worries. Why should we pretend not to know about trouble just because it is troublesome?"
"Can..."
Ling Zizhou grew impatient and waved his hand to stop him from continuing, gesturing for Shen Yongning to come forward.
Shen Yongning was overjoyed and immediately offered his sincerity, "Second Prince, if you spare my life, I will gladly hand over the treasure and troops of the former prince. Moreover, I had my reasons for coercing this person."
On the rocks, Meng Qingshan coldly watched this scene, feeling as if a stone had been placed in his heart. He glanced at the person lying beneath the rocks, the cold moonlight illuminating the scratches on her face clearly.
Even though they were in such a dangerous situation, they were able to calmly pull people to their side.
Meng Qingshan lowered his eyelashes, concealing his heavy thoughts, and subconsciously drew the bowstring taut.
Ling Zizhou saw it out of the corner of his eye, but subconsciously didn't warn him.
In an instant, a gust of wind rushed towards the staggering person.
Ling Zizhou opened his mouth to stop him, "Wait!"
It was too late.
Qingli felt as if her whole body had been run over, but her consciousness was blurred and she could only silently endure it without waking up. Occasionally, she heard a sobbing sound in her ear, and she frowned before falling into a deep sleep again.
When I woke up again, I was momentarily disoriented and had no idea how much time had passed.
Jiang Yue and Granny Hua Ying crowded around the bedside, laughing and crying. Qing Li looked around; they had returned to the Jing Si Palace.
Granny Hua Ying reacted quickly, instructing Jiang Yue to bring her a cup of warm water to moisten her mouth before whispering, "Miss, it is..."
After carefully considering her words, and then thinking about her relationship with the young lady, Granny Hua Ying said directly, "That scoundrel wanted to join the Second Prince, but was shot through the throat by the general with an arrow."
Hearing that Shen Yongning was completely dead, Qingli breathed a slight sigh of relief, but she was still worried about the Second Prince taking in Shen Yongning, who was like a wolf in sheep's clothing and an outsider.
As soon as Qingli had this thought, she froze. Meng Qingshan also knew about this. Why had she never treated him as an outsider? Perhaps it was because he had always eliminated all the worries and fears in her heart.
But wouldn't this cause him trouble?
In Yingcui Palace, Yu Jue reported that Miss Qing Li had woken up. Ling Shuyao, whose eyes were red and swollen from crying, rushed out without looking up.
Consort Mu relaxed her shoulders, and Ling Zizhan looked up. Having not been to the palace for a long time, both his mother and sister seemed nervous.
Have you ever met Qingli?
"Meng Qingshan's cousin?" Ling Zizhan shook his head. After killing the person, Meng Qingshan didn't even offer an explanation. He turned around and went back down the mountain, wrapped in a cloak, very carefully, not even letting a single hair out.
Afterwards, he specially found a carriage, intending to send her back to the Meng residence. However, Yao'er met him at the city gate and held him tightly, refusing to let go. Meng Qingshan watched coldly and said indifferently, "If it weren't for her, you would be lying here."
He thought that if Yao'er weren't a princess, she might have been driven away by Meng Qingshan.
He didn't even give the Second Prince any face.
"She saved Yao'er, so you should be careful in the future. You must lend a helping hand if she encounters difficulties."
Ling Zizhan looked at his mother with suspicion. His mother never interfered in outside affairs, and this was the first time she had shown such concern. He could only assume it was to repay a debt of gratitude, so he nodded.
Inside the Jingsi Hall, Qingli listened to Ling Shuyao's sobbing. Touched and amused, she touched her hand. The two were cousins by blood, and to Qingli, Ling Shuyao was incredibly precious. If anyone had to face Shen Yongning, Qingli thought she was the most suitable.
A glimmer of hope appears after a period of despair; this is already the best possible outcome.
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