412. Death of King Zhennan

On the city wall, several dazzling lights flashed. Three figures rose quickly from the ground and then fought in a group. Ordinary martial artists could not see their fight clearly. They could only see countless phantoms passing through the air and the sword energy coming from all directions. Everyone retreated to a safe place and looked up at this great battle.

The only one who could see something was Han Mingyue, but at this time Han Mingyue was staring at the three people fighting in the sky. Naturally, her eyes were focused and she had no time to think about the problems of the people around her.

There was a loud noise, and before everyone could react, they saw a black figure falling from the sky and hitting the ground on the tower. Han Mingyue and Qin Feng stood in front of Ye Li, one on the left and one on the right. When everyone looked over, they saw Lei Zhenting falling to the ground, with blood flowing from his right wrist and legs. Lei Zhenting lay on the ground with a sluggish look, his eyes were dim and his face was pale. Han Mingyue was relieved after taking a look at him. Lei Zhenting's martial arts had obviously been abolished, and his hands and feet were injured, so he no longer had any killing power.

Soon, Mo Xiuyao and Ling Tiehan also fell to the ground at the same time. The two were not in good condition. Mo Xiuyao's snow-white clothes were stained with several bloodstains, and the scar on his left arm was even more shocking. Ling Tiehan's blue cloth had a long tear on it, and a thin scar ran across his neck. If he was injured a little more seriously, both of them would be injured.

"Xiu Yao..." Ye Li frowned slightly as she looked at the injuries on Mo Xiu Yao's body. Mo Xiu Yao was in a very good mood. After dealing with Lei Zhen Ting, he had almost dealt with all the people that he had been trying to deal with over the years. Even the gloomy and murderous aura between his eyebrows had dissipated a lot.

"Ali, I win." Mo Xiuyao said with a smile.

Ye Li nodded slightly and said softly: "I know."

"Ahem..." Lei Zhenting, who was sitting on the ground, coughed twice and coughed up a mouthful of blood. He turned his head and stared at Mo Xiuyao and asked, "Why didn't you kill me?" Mo Xiuyao said coldly, "I said... I will make you live a life worse than death! I always keep my word!"

Lei Zhenting laughed disdainfully and said, "I never thought that Prince Ding also likes to torture prisoners."

"Since you admit that you are a captive, there are still many things you don't know." Mo Xiuyao smiled, "Do you want to know how I plan to treat you?" Mo Xiuyao's eyes suddenly flashed with fierce cruelty, as if he was reluctant to tear Lei Zhenting apart but was determined to let him live.

Before Lei Zhenting could open his mouth, a flash of sword light suddenly passed by. Mo Xiuyao was furious, "Ling Tiehan, you are looking for death!" Ling Tiehan stabbed the long sword in Lei Zhenting's chest. Although a flash of blood flew out, Lei Zhenting's chest had been opened with a blood hole. He was breathing out more than breathing in, and it was obvious that he was going to die.

Ling Tiehan was standing closer to Mo Xiuyao, who was holding Ye Li with one hand. Ling Tiehan's sword was so fast and fierce that Mo Xiuyao had no time to block it. After Lei Zhenting was stabbed by Ling Tiehan, he did not feel any pain, but looked at Mo Xiuyao with a mocking smile. It was as if he was saying, don't you want me to live a life worse than death? This king is going to die now.

"Hehe... Ling Tiehan... Thirteenth Brother... Thank you very much." Lei Zhenting smiled faintly, his dim eyes swept over Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li, with a trace of regret and worry in his eyes. But he couldn't say anything, and slowly, the last trace of light in his eyes gradually faded.

"Xiu Yao!" Ye Li held back Mo Xiu Yao's hand that was about to pat Ling Tiehan, and said softly, "I'm a little tired, let's go back and rest."

Mo Xiuyao's eyes warmed up, and he looked down at the bloodstains on Ye Li's beautiful face that had not yet been wiped off, with a little more guilt in his eyes, "Okay, let's go back and rest first. General Leng, Feng San, I'll leave this to you."

Feng Zhiyao nodded with a bitter face. He hasn't rested for a whole day and a night, okay?

Ye Li turned around and said to Ling Tiehan, "Master Ling can recover from your injuries in the city before leaving. Mr. Shen has a lot of medicine for injuries."

Ling Tiehan bowed and said, "Thank you, Princess."

Watching Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li walk away, Feng Zhiyao looked back at Lei Zhenting's body on the ground, frowned and said, "How should we deal with this?" Although he was an enemy, Lei Zhenting was a great hero after all, and Feng Zhiyao didn't want to humiliate him too much. As the saying goes, when a person dies, his debts are wiped out. No matter how much hatred a person has, it doesn't matter when he dies. However, if Lei Zhenting fell into Mo Xiuyao's hands, I'm afraid he would really die without a complete body.

Leng Huai raised his eyebrows, and he had the same idea as Feng Zhiyao. Leng Huai was a military commander of orthodox origin, and he always had some respect for famous generals. Unless necessary, he was generally unwilling to humiliate the enemy's corpse outside the battlefield, as that was the behavior of a weak person.

Ling Tiehan glanced at Lei Zhenting on the ground and said, "Is it okay for me to take him back to Xiling?"

"Of course you can." Leng Huai and Feng San looked at each other, and Feng Zhiyao said, "But... it must be cremated in Prince Ding's Mansion, and Master Ling can only take the ashes back." It's not that Feng Zhiyao is too cautious, but after the incident of Mo Xiuyao coming back to life, Feng Zhiyao really doesn't want to take any risk again.

Ling Tiehan didn't care. He was very loyal to collect Lei Zhenting's body. He nodded and said, "It doesn't matter. I can wait for a few days." Feng Zhiyao said, "No need to wait for a few days. It will be done soon." He didn't want Ling Tiehan to wait here for a few days. From the look of the prince, it was clear that he was still angry with Lei Zhenting. He might come to his senses and find trouble with Ling Tiehan again. If it was just that, it would be fine. Ling Tiehan was seriously injured now. There were plenty of ways to kill him in the Dingwang Mansion without the prince's intervention. But from the look of the princess, it was obvious that she didn't want Ling Tiehan to die. If the princess got angry with the prince, it would not be good for them as subordinates.

Leng Huai naturally didn't think as much as Feng Zhiyao. He looked at Feng Zhiyao with some surprise, then thought that there was nothing wrong with it and nodded. Ling Tiehan nodded and said, "Thank you so much."

"Master Ling, you're welcome. We should thank you." Feng Zhiyao said sincerely. No matter why, it was a fact that Ling Tiehan saved the lives of many people, including the princess. If Ling Tiehan hadn't arrived in time, it would be hard to say what the outcome would be today.

Ye Li and Mo Xiuyao returned to the General's Mansion. After washing up, Mo Xiuyao came out and saw Ye Li sitting at the table, staring at the food in front of her. Although they had just gone through a battle that almost wiped out the whole army, the servants of the General's Mansion still prepared a delicious breakfast very diligently, and brought it up shortly after the two returned, so that the two could eat it after washing up.

Ye Li, who had just washed up, changed her bloody clothes and washed away the fatigue and blood on her face, looking even more beautiful. Seeing her staring at the food in front of her in a daze, Mo Xiuyao frowned unhappily, and felt a little unhappy. He walked up to her gently, hugged her from behind, and asked softly: "Ali, what are you thinking about?"

Ye Li came back to her senses, shook her head and said, "Nothing... I've been so tense these days, and I feel a little overwhelmed when I suddenly relax."

Mo Xiuyao rubbed her hair apologetically and said softly: "It's all my fault, Ah Li... From now on, nothing can upset you. I will accompany you to do whatever you want in the future, okay?" Yes, from now on, nothing can upset people, and no one in this world can threaten his Ah Li anymore. Bei Rong was defeated, and he won't be able to recover in thirty or fifty years. Lei Zhenting died, and most of Xiling's elite soldiers stayed in Feihong Pass. The south still has to face the 300,000-strong army led by Murong Shen and Nan Hou of Da Chu, and there is also the feud between Zhennan Palace and Xiling Royal Family in the country. With Lei Tengfeng's ability, it is good enough to be able to protect himself. As for the Great Chu in the south, Mo Jingli was exiled, and a child who was not yet an adult ascended the throne. The power was only in the hands of powerful ministers and the Empress Dowager, and it could not cause any waves. From now on... who in this world would dare to touch his Ah Li?

Ye Li looked at him in surprise. Mo Xiuyao blinked and said with a smile, "Why are you looking at me like that, Ah Li?"

Ye Li asked, "Are you planning to withdraw your troops?"

"We have fought all the battles that need to be fought. What else can we do if we don't withdraw our troops?" Mo Xiuyao said with a smile.

Ye Li remained silent. She had not expected that Mo Xiuyao would stop so soon. His plans and decisions had always made her feel bad. It was not that there was anything wrong with ambition. Mo Xiuyao had the strength and qualifications to conquer the world, or even unify the world. But perhaps it was because of the brutal wars that had been going on for so long that she had developed an irrepressible hatred for war. She had seen too many deaths in the past few years.

Mo Xiuyao held Ye Li in his arms, with a gentle smile on his handsome face. He patted Ye Li's back and said softly, "Are you tired, Li? Why don't you take a rest for a while?"

Ye Li nodded unconsciously, leaning on Mo Xiuyao and gradually closing her eyes. She was indeed a little tired. When Ye Li fell asleep, Mo Xiuyao gently picked her up and put her on the bed. Looking down at her face, which was still slightly frowning in her sleep, Mo Xiuyao raised his hand with pity and gently traced her face, laughing softly: "Silly Ah Li, how could I not know what you are thinking? Besides...if I finish beating her, wouldn't Mo Xiaobao become a prodigal son?"

He gently covered Ye Li with the quilt. Mo Xiuyao turned around and went out. On the topmost piece of rice paper placed outside, there were a few lines of messy handwriting, which were obviously forgotten to be put away by the owner in a hurry: The soldiers withdrew from the Huai border and the road was open, and the crows came and went, making noise in the cold sky. It's a pity that the bones were gathered in the lonely tomb, all for the generals to collect military exploits.

Using this poem to describe the Mohist army may be a little biased, but it also clearly shows the writer's views and feelings on the current situation.

Ye Li was indeed very tired. When she woke up, it was already dark outside. If Mo Xiuyao hadn't been worried that she would not be healthy after not eating for so long, she might have continued to sleep.

Ye Li sat up and looked at Mo Xiuyao, who was sitting beside her bed leisurely and had not changed at all before falling asleep with her. She knew that he had not rested at all. In fact, it was not just Ye Li and the guards of Feihong Pass who were tired that day. Mo Xiuyao heard that Ye Li was still in Feihong Pass, so he rushed back with his men. Then there was another big battle with Lei Zhenting. It was impossible for him not to be tired.

"Why didn't you rest?" Ye Li frowned and asked softly.

Mo Xiuyao smiled and shook his head, saying softly, "Looking at Ah Li, I'm not tired... Ah Li has been sleeping for a long time, it's time to get up and have some dinner." Ye Li looked at the man with a gentle smile in front of her speechlessly, as if the gloomy and violent face she had faced before when facing Lei Zhenting and Ling Tiehan had never existed. Seeing her silent appearance, Mo Xiuyao smiled slightly, raised his hand and held Ye Li in his arms, and asked softly, "Are you angry with me, Ah Li?"

Ye Li was silent for a moment, sighed slightly, shook her head and said: "No, I know... you are right."

Mo Xiuyao also fell silent. After a long while, he looked at Ye Li with a smile and said, "You just can't accept it, right? Yes, this time... I did it on purpose. How could those bastards of Mo Jingli hurt me? In fact... I had this plan since the beginning when A'li asked someone to hand me the detailed list of Cangmang Mountain. I know Mo Jingli, and I know what he would do when he is forced into a corner. A'li, you see, now... everything is developing as I imagined. It's just... I didn't expect that A'li you didn't listen to me and leave Feihong Pass. If Ling Tiehan hadn't arrived in time... Fortunately, it was right to save Ling Tiehan's life..." Mo Xiuyao's hand that was holding Ye Li's waist trembled slightly, but when he looked down at Ye Li, there was still a faint smile in his eyes and in his low voice. Such a stubborn smile made Ye Li feel even more sad.

She couldn't blame this man. Ye Li leaned gently in Mo Xiuyao's arms and thought silently. No matter how many things he did, no matter how many ideas she couldn't agree with or accept, she could never blame him. It wasn't his fault. He wanted revenge, wanted to protect his family and lover, wanted Ding Wangfu to continue in this world, and wanted to get the most rewards with the least effort. No matter how you look at it, he was right.

Mo Xiuyao gently embraced Ye Li, kissed her hair, and smiled softly, "How I wish I could hide Ah Li in the safest and most beautiful palace in the world, so that no one can see her and no one can ever hurt Ah Li. But I can't do that... I know Ah Li doesn't like that. So... I want Ah Li to stand with me and face everything together, even if Ah Li doesn't like it. Ah Li, please don't dislike me, okay?"

Even though I know you hate these, I would rather tear these cruelest things in front of you. Because this is Mo Xiuyao... Mo Xiuyao is not a noble son of a prosperous family, nor is he a pure and detached immortal. Mo Xiuyao is a hellish Shura who crawled out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of ​​blood. Although A'li has never been a delicate little flower raised in a greenhouse, she is always kind and gentle in her heart. How can she like such a bloody and cruel calculation and a battlefield with rivers of blood? But... what can I do? Mo Xiuyao just wants you to accompany him.

"Xiu Yao..." Ye Li sighed softly, raised her head and looked into his gentle yet stubborn eyes. She raised her hand and gently touched his snow-white hair, whispering: "It's not your fault, why should I blame you. I'm just... a little sad. I really want to convince myself that their sacrifice is valuable. Even if all the 200,000 defenders of Feihong Pass died in the battle, at least the war time can be shortened by several years. During this period... there were more than 200,000 soldiers and civilians who died? What's more... what's the point of my sadness? Even most of them, I don't even care about their names. I don’t even know how to write, how can I feel sad for them? There are so many people, even if I am sad to death, one person can only give them less than half a minute of affection, and my sadness, what does it mean to them? It’s just... each of them has a family, relatives and children, and their pain is a lifetime. So... Xiu Yao, I’m fine. I’m really just a little sad. Soon, I will be fine. ”

Mo Xiuyao lowered his head and gently patted Ye Li's back to comfort her silently. Ye Li, who saw everything so clearly, gave people a sense of fragility that they had never experienced before. Mo Xiuyao held her in his arms, with a stubborn persistence and regret on his thin lips.

"I'm sorry, Ah Li." Mo Xiuyao said in a deep voice. He felt sorry for her, but he would not admit his mistakes. Like Ye Li, as the supreme commander of the Mohist Army, he did not make any wrong decision. Even if the Mohist Army was too late to rescue today, all the soldiers of Feihong Pass were killed, and even the Xiling soldiers broke into Feihong Pass and wreaked havoc, no one could say that Wang's decision was wrong. He led the Mohist Army, whose number was several times less than that of the enemy, to face the siege of three countries in succession. This time, he achieved success in one battle and greatly shortened the time of war. As a superior, he was right.

The only person he felt sorry for was his wife, his love. She had to endure so much pain and choices that she shouldn't have to endure, and she had to personally destroy the Qilin that she had trained and built. From beginning to end, the only person that Mo Xiuyao felt sorry for was Ye Li - his most beloved wife, the one he had decided to take care of forever and make her happy and worry-free.

"It's okay." Ye Li said softly, with a lot of knots in her heart. No matter what he did, she would forgive him. Ye Li smiled faintly in her heart. It turned out that she had loved him so much since she didn't know when.

"Ari, I won't do that again."

"Okay, I get it." The hidden pain in the heart may never disappear, but it will gradually fade away. There is no such thing as perfect in life, and now, it is already very good. A man who can look down on the world and change the situation but is uneasy because of your good or bad mood, a few smart, cute, well-behaved and clever children, a group of relatives who are sincere and always care about you, and a group of loyal and courageous friends and subordinates. In such a life, what else is there to be dissatisfied with? Maybe some of her and Mo Xiuyao's ideas will never be the same, such as she doesn't like conspiracies and tricks, but he is best at killing people without mercy. For example, she has always recognized the preciousness of life, but he doesn't mind playing with the lives of unrelated people as chips. But he would give in for her, and she would tolerate him. That was enough.

"Your Majesty, Princess. I request to see you." Feng Zhiyao's voice was heard from outside the door.

After a while, Mo Xiuyao and Ye Li appeared in the flower hall outside. Feng Zhiyao was not the only one who came to see him. Leng Huai, Han Mingyue, He Su, and even General Yuan Pei who had fainted in the morning were also present. Seeing the two of them coming together, Feng Zhiyao secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Feng Zhiyao is not only a good friend of Mo Xiuyao who grew up together, but also a good friend of Ye Li. The Third Master Feng naturally knows these two people better than most people. Originally, I thought there would be some conflicts between the two of them this time, but I didn't expect that nothing happened. Feng Zhiyao couldn't help but look at Ye Li a few more times, and his evaluation of Ye Li in his heart was a little higher.

Receiving Mo Xiuyao's warning look, Feng Zhiyao coughed lightly and retracted his gaze, saying with a smile: "My Lord, Princess, I'm sorry to bother you."

Mo Xiuyao glanced at him calmly and said, "You still know what you are doing here so late?"

Ye Li helplessly raised her hand and pulled, then smiled and said to Yuan Pei: "Old General, you are feeling better now."

Yuan Pei said quickly, "Thank you for your concern, Princess. I am fine. I am just old and useless. I am sorry to make you laugh." Ye Li smiled and said, "Old General, don't talk nonsense. This time, I am very grateful for your presence."

"Ah Li is right. Senior General, please take a seat." Seeing Ye Li's gaze sweeping towards him, Mo Xiuyao followed suit and said with a smile, "Isn't everyone here had dinner yet? Why don't we have it together?"

Feng Zhiyao rolled his eyes silently: It’s you and the princess who haven’t had dinner yet, right?

It was difficult for everyone to refuse the invitation personally from Prince Ding. After a while, the maid brought the dinner. It was all very light food. Everyone was very tired these days and no one had a serious meal. Suddenly, their appetites were opened and they had a rich and delicious dinner very happily.

After the maids had removed all the leftovers, Mo Xiuyao asked, "Why are you here so late? Is there something urgent?"

Leng Huai stood up and said, "Your Highness, we want to ask...what should be done with the captives in Xiling." In fact, this was not a pressing matter, but they were pulled over by Feng Zhiyao, who looked like he was full and pretending to be dead. Leng Huai had no choice but to bring up this matter.

Although it was not urgent, it was not a trivial matter. There were nearly 100,000 captured Xiling soldiers. With so many people, it would be a big problem no matter where they were placed, and it would be troublesome no matter how they were dealt with.

Hearing this, Mo Xiuyao's eyes flashed. He was about to speak but paused when he saw Ye Li beside him. He pondered for a moment and said, "Send someone to send it back to Xiling. We don't want more. Fifty taels of silver per soldier."

Leng Huai hesitated for a moment, "Will the people of Xiling agree?" Fifty taels is not much, but hundreds of thousands of people add up to a lot. Moreover, it is not difficult to recruit 100,000 soldiers these days. At least it will definitely not cost 5 or 6 million taels of silver. For Xiling, this is not a very cost-effective deal.

Mo Xiuyao sneered and said: "You announce this matter to the world, they will have to agree even if they don't agree. If they really don't agree... send all the people to the north to farm." The north had been ruined by the Northern Rong people, and there was a need for people to open up wasteland and farm.

Leng Huai thought about it and couldn't help but laugh. As expected, Prince Ding was resourceful and cunning. "I obey your command."