Chapter 110 Epilogue (End of Main Text)
Even though Yunxi was unwell, she insisted on riding a horse to continue her journey.
"The carriage is too slow, you need to go back soon!"
Xu Yuansi firmly disagreed, saying, "The snow and wind are too strong, and you are already prone to feeling cold, so you cannot ride a horse."
“I can do it. It’s not like I haven’t done this before,” Yunxi said, shaking her head.
She's been so anxious lately, always feeling like something's going to happen.
Only by sending him back could she truly feel at ease, so enduring this hardship was nothing to her.
She can endure it.
Xu Yuansi said, "Yunxi, if Xiao Shenjing's people want to do something, we can't stop them even if we travel day and night."
This is the territory belonging to the State of Jing.
Those people are not going to surrender easily; they are just waiting for an opportunity to strike decisively.
He saw things so clearly that Yunxi couldn't find a way to refute him.
Because he's right.
"Don't worry too much about me." Xu Yuansi raised his hand and gently brushed away a snowflake from her eyelashes. "So let nature take its course, and perhaps it's in accordance with fate?"
Yunxi pursed her lips. "Even if it's fate, I'll still kick it back."
"Okay," Xu Yuansi chuckled. "Then let's do it together."
Xu Yuansi is very tall. Although he is not as exceptionally tall as Xiao Shenjing, the difference between the two is not significant.
Therefore, when he stood in front of Yunxi, he easily enveloped her in his own shadow.
The angle at which he slightly lowered his head, and her perfectly positioned upward gaze.
When she looked up at him, no snow or wind could reach her.
Xiao Shenjing stood a few steps away, taking in the entire glaring scene.
An indescribable feeling of suffocation gripped his throat, then sank heavily into his heart.
It wasn't just anger; it was more like a sharp, bitter sting, mixed with a strong sense of rejection and an almost uncontrollable anxiety.
He was the one who was used to being in control, used to standing at the highest point and looking down, but now he could only watch helplessly as the person he cared about stayed safely in another man's protective circle.
Every movement of Xu Yuansi, every time Yun Xi calmly raised her face, seemed to silently proclaim their compatibility, and to declare that Xiao Shenjing was "superfluous" at this moment.
The wind and snow seemed to intensify, biting coldly against Xiao Shenjing's exposed face and body. His jawline was taut, his thin lips pressed into a cold, lifeless line. His hands, hanging limply at his sides, had knuckles white from the strain.
He didn't move or look away; the air pressure around him was frighteningly low.
It was as if even the falling snowflakes were frozen and lingering around him.
Yunxi's concerns were valid.
Even though they hired camel caravans at Zhangjiakou Fort and safely passed through Dajingmen, where bandits were likely to ambush them, they were still surrounded by bandits who rushed out when they passed Yehuling.
Even though Yunxi was willing to pay, these bandits still rampaged and slaughtered.
Yunxi's worst fear has come true.
Because it was impossible to tell whether the other party was Xiao Shenjing in disguise.
Even with Yunxi's formidable strength, he was still overwhelmed by the swarming bandits.
The scene became extremely chaotic.
Xu Yuansi was still able to barely protect himself.
However, it was too dangerous for Xiao Shenjing to have his hands bound.
Just as a curved blade was about to slash at him, and he had no chance to dodge it, a longsword suddenly appeared in front of him with a clang, deflecting the curved blade.
He turned around abruptly and saw a familiar face.
She frowned, her face filled with a solemn, murderous aura.
It's not that young ladies from noble families equate beauty with gentleness.
She didn't even wear a trace of rouge.
Yet it made my heart pound wildly.
She didn't even glance at Xiao Shenjing. When the tip of her sword was pressed down by the curved blade, she showed no fear; instead, her aura became even more ferocious. In the instant she twisted her wrist, the blade severed her opponent's hand.
After swiftly kicking the bandit away, she didn't even look at the blood splattered on the back of her hand.
He grabbed Xiao Shenjing and pulled him in front of him, quickly untying the rope from his hands.
But a curved blade was already at his face.
"Yunxi, be careful!" Xiao Shenjing's expression changed drastically.
Yunxi hurriedly pushed away Xiao Shenjing, who was about to pounce on her.
He had just bumped into the carriage when he heard Yunxi shout sternly, "Get on the carriage!"
"Xu Yuansi rushed out."
No sooner had she finished speaking than two more curved blades came slashing at her.
Just as they dealt with the two bandits, they heard Xu Yuansi shout from behind, "Yunxi, come up here quickly."
Yunxi leaped onto the carriage, slashing with his longsword until he barely managed to get the carriage moving.
The bandits, of course, were unwilling to let him go and pursued him relentlessly.
In her hasty escape, Yunxi leaned against the dilapidated carriage, panting. Xu Yuansi noticed that her arm was injured and quickly bandaged it. Only then did he realize something was wrong.
"Where is Xiao Shenjing?" Yunxi asked.
Xu Yuansi was also taken aback for a moment, then explained, "He was leaning against the carriage just now, so I thought he had gotten on."
It seems that the bandits must be related to him.
However, without Xiao Shenjing, it's like losing our biggest lifeline.
This journey will only become more difficult.
But no matter how difficult it is, we have to keep going.
Yunxi was silent for a few moments before saying, "It's only a little over a hundred kilometers from Xinghe to Datong. Once we get to Datong, everything will be fine."
At least she was familiar with Datong.
Now that Xiao Shenjing and his men have reunited, they dare not even enter the pass or outpost. Wild Fox Ridge in winter is extremely dangerous, not only because of the slaughterhouse of White Hair Wind, but also because of the dark ravines where one can fall into the ice and there is no way to survive.
This section of the road was extremely treacherous; nine out of ten camels never returned, so treacherous that even the imperial army could not be stationed there on a large scale.
The two exchanged a glance and decided they couldn't take the risk.
After all, a major battle had exhausted both of them, and with Yunxi injured, it was not a good time for them to travel at a rapid pace.
Fortunately, the things inside the horse were still there.
Xu Yuansi found a sheltered spot and pitched his tent.
After boiling a pot of water over a charcoal fire, Yunxi finally felt as if she had come back to life.
But a huge rock still weighed on his heart.
It made her toss and turn.
Finally, Xu Yuansi couldn't stand it anymore and pulled her into his arms.
He assured her from behind, "Get a good night's sleep, I will definitely live well."
Yunxi stopped struggling; she was truly exhausted, both physically and mentally.
Even though Xu Yuansi's embrace was warm, she still had a nightmare.
In her dream, she saw Xu Yuansi being captured by Xiao Shenjing.
Xiao Shenjing ordered him to be torn apart by five horses.
She dreamt that his limbs were ripped off alive, and blood splattered all over her face.
"No, no, no, no Xu Yuansi!" Yunxi screamed and sat up abruptly.
Xu Yuansi quickly pulled her into his arms. "Yunxi, Yunxi, it's alright, it's alright, I'm here."
I heard a familiar voice beside me.
She turned around abruptly, and the moment she saw that he was still alive, tears finally streamed down her face.
"Thank goodness, thank goodness you're still alive!" Her eyes were red, and she choked back tears as she cupped his face in her hands.
"I won't die!" Xu Yuansi comforted him, her heart aching.
After days of anxiety, this nightmare was making Yunxi unable to hold back any longer.
"No matter how hard I try, I can't keep them alive. Their adoptive parents are dead, the biological parents they thought were theirs are actually someone else's, their older brother is dead, and Lu Xiuran is dead too."
No matter how hard I try, in the end I can't grasp anything.
He held her in his arms, and she burst into tears.
"I don't know how ordinary girls would handle these situations. No one taught me. I don't know right from wrong; I can only act according to my heart. Even if I get hurt, it's my own choice. I'll keep going even if it kills me."
"Xu Yuansi, you must live on. I don't want to hear any more news of anyone's death."
Xu Yuansi gently patted her back and assured her, "I won't die. I've survived so many things that have happened. So, I definitely can this time too."
Outside the tent, Xiao Shenjing stood in the wind and snow.
He heard Yunxi's every cry.
He would never see her worries, her fears, or her pain.
She excluded him from her world forever.
Is she going to go to the Turkic Khaganate with Xu Yuansi on this trip?
Upon realizing this possibility, Xiao Shenjing suddenly clenched his fist.
When Yunxi's sobs gradually subsided, Xu Yuansi said, "Yunxi, we will all live on. Think about what you most want to do?"
Yunxi gradually calmed down and said after a while, "I want to be free to do what I want. If I like a place, I can stop and open a tavern called Peach Blossom Village. If I don't like a place anymore, I can go to the next one. If I really have a big wish, it would be to spread Peach Blossom Village all over the mountains and rivers."
"Yunxi, how about coming with me to the Turkic Khaganate? You'll love it. Horses hooves crunching on ice, grass tips brushing against your belly, chasing the sunset, and breaking through the snow. There's the strongest liquor and endless grasslands where you can gallop freely, sing loudly, and be completely unrestrained."
As Xu Yuansi spoke, his eyes grew brighter. He looked down intently at Yun Xi and asked, "Will you come with me?"
Yunxi did not refuse immediately.
At this moment, no amount of wind and snow could compare to the chill in Xiao Shenjing's heart.
He dared not wait any longer and hurriedly called out, "Yunxi!"
"Yunxi!"
She called out twice, as if afraid that she might answer Xu Yuansi in that brief moment.
There was a rustling sound inside the tent, and soon the tent flap opened from the inside, revealing Yunxi's extremely surprised face. "Xiao Shenjing? What are you doing here?"
Xiao Shenjing stared intently at her, at the tear stains still lingering at the corners of her eyes.
At that moment, heaven knows how much he wanted to pull her into his arms.
Hide it and never let anyone see it again.
I will never let her shed another tear.
"How did you find us?" As soon as Xiao Shenjing sat down, Yunxi's dagger was pressed against his neck.
"You're injured?" he asked, showing no fear whatsoever.
"Answer me!" Yunxi asked, knowing that Xiao Shenjing's men were probably nearby.
They really can't escape.
The immense despair made her hands tremble for a moment.
"This journey has been too dangerous, Yunxi." Because she was agitated, her arm was unsteady, so Xiao Shenjing kindly supported her wrist so that the dagger could be pressed against his own neck.
Yunxi pursed her lips and could only reluctantly put away the dagger.
The fact that Xiao Shenjing was able to return openly and honestly shows that he had made all the necessary preparations.
A person who dares to seize the world cannot be an ordinary person in terms of wisdom and courage.
But is she just going to surrender like this?
They watched helplessly as Xu Yuansi died.
“A group of Turks recently mingled with horse merchants and infiltrated the area. Today’s bandits are also mixed in with this group. I suspect they are thieves sent by the Turks.” As he said this, he gave Xu Yuansi a deep look.
This was clearly telling Yunxi that these people were after Xu Yuansi.
"How can I trust you?" Yunxi asked after a few moments of silence.
Xiao Shenjing looked at her and said, "If I really wanted to kill him, he would already be headless!"
Yunxi could not refute these words.
But would Xiao Shenjing really be so kind?
Yunxi didn't know.
We can only passively take it one step at a time.
When Dao Yidao Er appeared with more than twenty people, Yun Xi was no longer surprised.
At least we don't have to worry about being surrounded and intercepted by government troops along the way.
Even so, from Xinghe to Datong, one still has to pass through Sumushan and its spurs. The border defenses here are largely empty, and the Jing Kingdom's troops are mainly deployed in the Deshengbao complex.
Because of the harsh conditions, outposts were sparse, with only a few beacon towers and outposts with a few or dozens of people, and they were far apart.
In case of danger, the nearest garrison, either Fengzhen or the Great Wall, would take several hours to arrive.
This area is characterized by deep mountains, dense forests, and crisscrossing ravines. Not only is the snow accumulation deep, but there are also barely noticeable swamps in the lowlands.
However, Xiao Shenjing brought along experienced guides.
So the road was flat as we traveled, and even the snow gradually stopped.
Xiao Shenjing, who had been silent the whole way, urged the camel to walk to Yunxi's side.
After a long while, he turned his head, looked at her, and asked, "Yunxi, it's almost Chinese New Year. After you see Xu Yuansi off, you'll go back to spend the Lantern Festival with her, right?"
"I want to go see Lu Xiuran."
Xiao Shenjing was taken aback for a moment, then asked with some difficulty, "Where are you going to see him?"
This time, Yunxi stared at Xiao Shenjing for a long time before asking, "What do you think?"
Xiao Shenjing's voice was unusually hoarse: "Do you know where he is?"
“I know,” Yunxi nodded and said, “His body is buried on the northern slope of Yinshan Mountain.”
In that instant, Xiao Shenjing's face turned pale. He tried to say something, but could only ask, "So, Turks, is it absolutely necessary for you to go?"
“I absolutely have to go.” That was Yunxi’s resolute voice in response.
Xiao Shenjing remained silent in the snow.
The group rode camels, while horses scouted the way.
Yunxi wished that things would just pass peacefully like this.
But after walking another ten miles, when they came to a low-lying area, her expression suddenly froze.
Dao Yi reacted at the same time, his expression changing drastically. "Be on guard!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Yunxi saw a large group of people suddenly rush out from behind the rocks.
These men were all dressed like horse traders, but the cold light reflected from the steel scimitars in their hands was almost blinding.
There are at least fifty or sixty of these people.
If the bandits weren't government soldiers, then these people could only be the Turks who, as Xiao Shenjing said, came to hunt down Xu Yuansi.
Dao Yi drew his sword and shouted at Dao Er, "Quickly, take His Majesty and leave first. The rest of you, follow me to meet the enemy."
"Your Majesty, come with me!" Dao Er dared not say any more, and with five men, he gritted his teeth and ran towards Xiao Shen.
The enemy clearly has the upper hand.
Dragging this out will only lead to certain death.
"Xu Yuansi, hurry up!" Yunxi squeezed the camel's belly hard, and the white camel let out a thunderous roar.
She drove the camel forward, looking back as she went.
Dozens of people rushed towards the group with knives like a tidal wave.
Dao Yi truly deserves to be the most trusted commander of the Imperial Guards by the Emperor's side.
Even with a disparity in strength, one person can fight against five or six people at the same time.
He roared, his longsword flashing in his hand.
They stopped each and every one of the thieves who tried to break through the defenses.
Five curved blades wove a death vortex that swirled toward his throat.
Dao Yi's longsword slashed away three blows with a clang, his left arm braced against the fourth, and amidst the sparks, he managed to grab the back of the blade! The fifth blow slashed towards his waist and abdomen, but the fierce general twisted his waist and spun around, using the enemy's blade as an axis to leap into the air, instantly twisting the neck of the swordsman who had been grabbed into a grotesque angle.
They managed to kill half of their fifty or sixty opponents with just over ten men.
With a heavy breath, Dao Yi plunged his longsword into the frozen ground, and the remaining seven Imperial Guards took the opportunity to form a wedge shape.
The bearded leader spat and suddenly blew a bone whistle.
Six warhorses charged madly at the wall of people.
Despite the certain death of the charge, Dao Yi refused to retreat in the slightest.
Because behind him is His Majesty.
Every extra moment that can be delayed, His Majesty will be a little safer.
He gripped his longsword tightly, his eyes blazing.
"We swear to protect His Majesty with our lives!"
"We swear to protect His Majesty with our lives!"
The roars crashed against the ice cliffs, echoing like a thousand troops arrayed in battle.
However, no matter how brave he was, how could he withstand an enemy several times his size?
As the enemy's scimitar pierced his chest, Dao Er screamed in despair, "No, no, no!"
"Go!" Dao staggered, coughing up blood as he roared, "Don't turn back!"
The snow wind whistled through his chest as he knelt, leaning on his sword. "Take His Majesty and leave quickly!"
The two bloodied words, "Go," rolled out of his throat before his tall body collapsed heavily to the ground.
The swirling snowflakes resembled funeral paper money.
Yunxi pursed her lips.
She couldn't save him.
After killing the roadblock, the remaining twenty-odd bandits whipped their whips and charged towards them.
A camel's speed can never match that of a horse's running speed.
Dao Er's eyes were bloodshot. "Your Majesty, let's go!"
He turned around and pleaded, "Miss Yunxi, please take good care of His Majesty."
Then, without waiting for Yunxi's reply, he squeezed his belly hard and led the remaining five people against the current towards the enemy.
The six men charged toward the thirty-odd enemies.
Without hesitation, they rushed towards their inevitable demise.
When Yunxi turned around, only two Imperial Guards remained beside Dao Er, still putting up a desperate resistance.
Dao Er was already covered in blood.
When only a dozen or so enemies remained, only Dao Er was still standing, staggering.
The raised knife was pressed down inch by inch by the enemy until he knelt on both knees, until he could no longer stand up, but he still held tightly to the enemy's legs with both arms.
He coughed up blood, staring at the spot where Xiao Shenjing had left, and roared, "Your Majesty, go!"
Yunxi watched helplessly as the enemy raised his long sword and brought it down hard on Dao Er's body.
The remaining five or six men charged at Yunxi and his two companions relentlessly.
Yunxi reined in the camel, turned her head to look at him, and said, "Xu Yuansi, come on, I'm coming to find you right away!"
Xu Yuansi refused to say "you and me".
"Go!" Yunxi abruptly interrupted him, her eyes filled with an undeniable solemnity. "You can't help me if you stay."
Xiao Shenjing did not leave.
Yunxi gripped the long sword in her hand tightly. "If you stay, you'll only become a burden to me. Go!"
Xiao Shenjing only said two words: "Together."
"If anything happens to you, even if you die twice, it's all for nothing!" Yunxi glared angrily.
But Xiao Shenjing remained stubbornly steadfast.
Before she could say anything more, the remaining five or six people had already rushed in front of her.
Three against six.
For Yunxi, the chances of winning are quite high.
Moreover, none of these people had any weapons in their hands.
However, her arm injury did hinder her movements.
Just as the enemy's fist was about to strike Yunxi's injured spot, Xiao Shenjing suddenly pulled her behind him, staggered a step, took the punch squarely, and fell onto Yunxi.
Yunxi caught Xiao Shenjing with one hand and kicked him away.
Xu Yuansi wounded the last enemy and asked anxiously, "Yunxi, are you alright?"
"I'm fine!" Yunxi said, immediately releasing Xiao Shenjing.
They moved so fast it was as if they were afraid Xu Yuansi would see them.
Xiao Shenjing suddenly lowered his brows.
Just as the three were about to turn back to find the camel, Yunxi's expression changed again.
She turned around abruptly.
I saw a group of people dressed the same as before rushing towards us.
"Run, run!" Without saying a word, Yunxi grabbed Xu Yuansi and ran towards the horses.
Xu Yuansi was always the person she cared about most.
He didn't even notice Xiao Shenjing standing next to him.
Fortunately, the horse that had been startled earlier did not run far.
The three of them climbed onto the horse. Yunxi, with an injured arm, was a little slower in mounting the horse and fell slightly behind.
The snow and wind, sharp as knives, rushed towards the three of them.
They hadn't even had time to catch their breath from the fierce battle, and dared not linger for a moment as they rushed off into the distance.
However, in their panic, the horses ran at full speed and trampled the still-unfrozen ice.
With a muffled thud as the ice shell collapsed, Yunxi's expression changed drastically, and he hurriedly reined in his horse.
It let out a hiss.
The horse's hooves rose high, barely stopping on the verge of collapse.
"Yunxi, don't come any closer!" Two shouts rang out simultaneously.
Yunxi looked up and her expression panicked for a moment.
The horses neighed mournfully, and Xiao Shenjing and Xu Yuansi were both stuck in the mud, with putrid black sludge rapidly climbing up their saddles!
The horse struggled and sank faster, but in the blink of an eye, the mud had already covered its body.
Yunxi's voice trembled for a moment as she spoke of "Xu Yuansi".
Behind them, the sound of horses' hooves crushed the withered bones in the forest; the deadly roar of their rapid, low-flying horses drew ever closer.
A few steps ahead, the silent swamp opened its massive maw, swallowing the two figures.
The pursuers are about to catch up.
She couldn't save either of them.
Who should we save?
Who should we save?
"Yunxi, hurry up!" Xu Yuansi urged anxiously.
"Give me your hand!" Yunxi said through gritted teeth.
Beside him, Xiao Shenjing's figure bobbed in the mud, the mud reaching his waist and abdomen, his robes clinging tightly to his body.
He gritted his teeth, his silent gaze piercing through the churning mud and landing directly on Yunxi.
He didn't beg for mercy, he just quietly looked at her.
It seems I know the answer.
Just like when Yunxi looked at him from Sheqishan, Yunxi had done so.
No struggle, no cry for help
It's not because I'm on the verge of death but refuse to say something conciliatory to try and save my life; it's not because I'm incapable of assessing the situation; it's not because I'm unyielding.
It's simply because I know I'll be the one who gets abandoned.
What did he say to Yunxi, who was already in despair?
He said, "Yunxi, the princess has been delicate since childhood and cannot withstand fright, but you are not, do you understand?"
He even asked her, "Yunxi, do you hate her?"
It was as if they wanted to see her fear, her terror, to see how long she could hold out before begging for mercy.
But why would she beg for mercy?
Because they knew they wouldn't be the one chosen.
Just like he wouldn't have chosen her back then.
Now, she wouldn't choose him either.
Xiao Shenjing blinked slowly.
In that instant, they were on the brink of life and death.
He finally understood the despair Yunxi had felt at that time.
In that instant, life felt worse than death.
"Xu Yuansi! Reach out!" Yunxi's gaze quickly swept over Xiao Shenjing, so quickly it was almost an illusion.
Immediately, she moved and quickly untied the reins.
There was no earth-shattering announcement, just a sudden lunge forward, his body skimming along the ice. Grabbing one end of the reins, he tossed it toward Xu Yuansi.
Xu Yuansi's body was forcibly pulled from the gaping maw of the mud by a brute force, the mud making a dull, loud "pop" sound as he crashed heavily onto the muddy bank.
In contrast, Xiao Shenjing, who had been abandoned, was now covered in mud that had reached his chest.
The more you struggle in such a quagmire, the faster you will die.
Even if he is abandoned, he will still die.
They died in this putrid swamp, rotting and decaying together.
Behind them, the thunderous sound of horses' hooves grew ever closer.
Yunxi lifted Xu Yuansi onto her horse, then mounted herself and looked down at Xiao Shenjing.
Their eyes met.
Yunxi put on the reins. "Xiao Shenjing, I can't save you."
Xiao Shenjing wanted to smile at her, but his eyes reddened. "Yunxi, I'm sorry about Snake Mountain back then."
"It's alright, it's all in the past." Yunxi tightened the reins. "Goodbye, Xiao Shenjing."
The mud had already reached above Xiao Shenjing's shoulders.
As he lay dying, he said to her, "Goodbye."
In that instant, all of Yunxi's hatred, resentment, loathing, and disgust for Xiao Shenjing were uprooted, turned to dust, and vanished in the chilling snowstorm.
It no longer exists.
"Over there, take it down!" The Turks' shouts reached my ears.
Yunxi spurred his horse and rode away with Xu Yuansi in his arms.
He allowed Xiao Shenjing to be swallowed up by the mud little by little.
He never looked back.
That night, Dao Yi had the innkeeper deliver a letter.
Your Majesty Empress Fengqi:
Your subject, Dao Yi, Commander of the Imperial Guards, bows twice.
On this cold night, I dare to take up my pen, not for military matters, but because my heart is as heavy as lead, and my emotions are difficult to express. Your Highness and Your Majesty, from your former residence to the imperial palace, have endured wind, frost, rain, and snow all the way, and I have stood at your feet the whole time, witnessing every detail.
However, if you knew the real His Majesty, you would know that His Majesty has never killed a loyal minister, let alone a pillar of the state like Lord Fan.
That year, the rain in Ling was as heavy as if the Milky Way had reversed its course.
At the young age of fourteen, Xiao Shenjing was promoted to deputy disaster relief envoy and sent to Huailing for disaster relief.
As a prince, he worked tirelessly alongside the disaster victims, using sandbags, wooden stakes, and their own bodies to repair and reinforce the river embankment.
Meanwhile, Zhou Xian, the imperial envoy in charge of overall coordination and vice minister of the Ministry of Works, spent his days drinking and chatting with several local officials, pointing and commenting on a pile of false and delayed documents.
That same night, Xiao Shenjing ordered his men to reinforce the flood discharge channel downstream of point three and widen the waterway, accompanied by his token. Shen Fu, his voice trembling with tears, ran over and pointed downstream, saying:
"Your Highness, the flood diversion channel is completely useless! We widened the waterway as you instructed, but the water volume upstream is too large! I suspect they haven't fully opened the upstream flood diversion gates. I just secretly went around to check, and the gates were only half open. The water is all being squeezed into the main channel and is rushing towards point three!"
As if to confirm his words, a deep, rumbling sound, like the growl of a giant beast, came from afar, and the ground beneath his feet began to tremble slightly!
Xiao Shenjing's face turned deathly pale. He understood that the two people beside Zhou Xian and Empress Sun Lu wanted more than just embezzling food and medicine; they wanted disaster, a massive disaster that could bury him, Xiao Shenjing, completely, sacrificing the lives of thousands of elderly, weak, women, and children downstream.
"Quickly, evacuate. Evacuate everyone at point three immediately. Run to the high ground to the west!" Xiao Shenjing roared hoarsely, his voice so weak in the wind and rain. He shoved Shen Fu aside and rushed towards the center of the resettlement point like a madman, shouting with all his might, "Go! Go quickly! The water is coming! Run!"
However, it was too late.
Rumble.
As if the sky had collapsed and the earth had split open, the deliberately restricted floodwaters upstream, like a prehistoric beast breaking free of its cage, crashed violently into the already crumbling main dam.
That night, it was a scene of carnage and bloodshed.
On the very night Xiao Shenjing was imprisoned, the imperial edict was delivered to the prison.
"The Fifth Prince, Xiao Shenjing, was ordered to provide relief for the floods in Huailing, but he neglected his duties, treating the people like dirt; moreover, he embezzled a huge sum of money, enriching himself at the expense of others! As a result, the river breached twice, causing the deaths of thousands of people, spreading poison for thousands of miles, and leaving corpses of the starving in the fields. His actions are rebellious, his heart is worthy of condemnation, he has deeply failed my expectations, and his crimes are beyond redemption. Therefore, he is hereby stripped of his title and imprisoned in the Imperial Prison to await trial. This is my decree."
Xiao Shenjing was suspended from the cold stone wall by two thick iron chains. His wrists were already raw and bleeding. He hung his head, his disheveled and withered black hair covering his face. Only a few strands of thick blood dripped from the ends of his hair, accumulating into a small dark red puddle beneath him.
Warden Wang Chong strode up to Xiao Shenjing, his boots making a soft "slap" sound as they stepped on the sticky bloodstains. He stretched out his rough fingers and suddenly pinched Xiao Shenjing's chin, forcing him to raise his head.
His phoenix eyes, deep within their dark circles, shone with an astonishing brightness.
There was no pleading, no fear in that gaze, only a hatred and clarity that almost froze one's senses.
Wang Chong felt a chill run down his spine from that gaze, followed by a surge of anger and rage. He tightened his grip, almost crushing the boy's jawbone, and sneered, "You've got some tough bones, haven't you, Your Highness? Even in this state, you still put on airs like a prince?"
Xiao Shenjing's Adam's apple bobbed, but he said nothing.
Wang Chong suddenly released his grip and winked to the side.
Two burly, expressionless jailers immediately stepped forward and untied the chains binding Xiao Shenjing. The heavy chains clattered to the ground, and Xiao Shenjing collapsed limply onto the cold, damp stone floor like a tattered sack with its bones emptied, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Before he could catch his breath, the two jailers had roughly dragged him up and carried him to a heavy wooden frame in the center of the cell.
Xiao Shenjing's arms were forcibly pulled apart, his wrists tightly bound to the crossbeams on either side of the wooden frame with rough ropes. He was forced to stand upright, but his body was too weak to support him, so he could only suspend most of his weight on his two scarred arms. The excruciating pain instantly tore through his nerves, which had just begun to recover.
Wang Chong slowly took something from a rack of torture instruments next to him. It was a finger-crushing device, a kind of torture instrument specifically used to clamp fingers, consisting of several thick, hard wooden sticks strung together with rope.
"Your Highness, you're so noble and precious, you probably haven't seen this rough thing before, have you?" Wang Chong rubbed the cold fingertips with his rough fingers, as if admiring a work of art. "Those starving, despicable people in Huailing who were gnawing on tree bark, thanks to you, probably won't even be able to chew on tree bark before they die." He leaned close to Xiao Shenjing's ear, his voice extremely low, every word carrying venomous malice, "How could they know that the life-saving rations they saved have all turned into those glittering gold and jewels in Your Highness's private treasury, hmm?"
"Slander," Xiao Shenjing finally managed to squeeze out two words from his torn throat, his voice hoarse as if rubbing sandpaper.
"Slander?" Wang Chong raised his voice as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world, with a deliberately performed anger. "The evidence is overwhelming, Your Highness still wants to deny it? It seems that this edict has not yet made you 'appreciate the Emperor's grace'." He waved his hand sharply and shouted at the jailer, "Come, help Your Highness 'wake up' and make him think carefully about where those gold and pearls are hidden."
Two jailers immediately stepped forward. One of them roughly grabbed Xiao Shenjing's hand, forcibly spread his fingers, and stuffed them into the gaps of the finger-crushing device. The cold wooden stick pressed tightly against his fingers.
Wang Chong personally grasped the ropes at both ends of the finger-crushing device, took a deep breath, and with a sudden burst of strength, pulled hard to both sides!
A bloodcurdling scream, inhuman and agonizing, suddenly pierced Xiao Shenjing's throat, exploding in the cramped cell. It struck the stone wall and bounced back, its shrill sound sending chills down one's spine.
The rope tightened suddenly, the hard wooden stick clamping tightly onto each of Xiao Shenjing's ten fingers, applying terrifying pressure continuously! The bones emitted a teeth-grinding, subtle yet clear "crackling" sound under the pressure of the stick, as if they were about to shatter at any moment!
The pain that burst forth in his fingers felt like countless red-hot steel needles piercing his fingertips, causing his entire body to spasm and twitch uncontrollably.
"Speak!" Wang Chong roared like a wild beast, shaking the torchlight. "Where is Jinzhu hidden?! Who else is your accomplice?" He roared as he tightened the rope again.
A ladle of icy, foul-smelling dirty water was lifted by the jailer and mercilessly splashed onto Xiao Shenjing's bloodied and mangled hands, which were tightly clamped by finger screws! The cold water mixed with blood and pus instantly seeped into the gaps in the torn flesh and fractured bones.
"Ugh!" A suppressed groan burst from Xiao Shenjing's clenched teeth, his body jerking upwards before being pressed back down onto the wooden frame by ropes and jailers.
Everything went completely black before my eyes, and my consciousness was like a flickering candle in a storm, almost extinguished.
"Even the toughest bone in Wang Chong can't withstand the Empress's methods. Keep a close eye on him, don't let him die too quickly. The Empress has ordered that his life be spared, slowly worn down, his bones dried up, his spirit broken, until he personally writes that confession of 'colluding with foreign officials and plotting rebellion,' and signs it. Only then will our mission be accomplished. Hehe, that will be true annihilation."
His Majesty suffered all kinds of torture in prison.
Later, Shen Fu, dragging his leg which had been broken by assassination, stopped the emperor's carriage in the street and risked his life to clear His Majesty's name.
It is said that members of the royal family are cold-hearted and ungrateful.
Your Majesty will always remember the kindness of restoring the emperor to peace.
When Lady Cen knelt down to plead for him during his time of crisis, His Majesty granted her every request in return for this kindness.
Your Majesty, His Majesty has faced immense hardships on his journey, and cherishes his loyal ministers and generals all the more.
Lord Fan's death was absolutely not at His Majesty's behest.
His Majesty is not a bloodthirsty person.
If the world had been at peace back then, why would he have had to bear the infamy of later generations by seizing the throne?
If the nobles and officials cared for the common people, why would he have slaughtered everyone in the streets?
Your Majesty, I humbly beg for forgiveness for my presumptuous and overstepping authority.
What I have said today is a piercing blow to the heart, a presumptuous act, and I know I deserve to die a thousand deaths. However, I dare to lay bare my heart not merely to plead my case, but also to address another matter.
Your Majesty, I humbly beg you to treat His Majesty kindly on this journey and not to harm him further.
This is my heartfelt plea, born of tears and blood; it is not at the behest of Your Majesty, but stems from my own private feelings. I earnestly hope Your Highness will not take offense.
Your Majesty, with tears streaming down your face, bows deeply and prostrates yourself in reverence.
End of main text.
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