Chapter 138
Jinyun glanced at the general riding away, then looked down at his own young master, and finally made up his mind. He placed Xie Sui'an against the wall and swiftly leaped across the base of the wall.
Not long after Qin Sang left Nanyuan with the imperial edict in her hand, she encountered many eunuchs and palace maids running around in a panic. She grabbed one of them and asked, "Besides the Imperial Guards, are there any other troops in the palace now?"
The palace maid trembled with fear, and after a moment of hesitation, she shook her head: "No, no, only the Imperial Guards, but they're killing people everywhere. Ask... ask where the Emperor is, we don't know. I... I didn't serve in the Zichen Palace, I really don't know..."
Qin Sang felt a chill in her heart. They'd already reached the Zichen Palace so quickly? Where were Xie Sui'an and the others? Hadn't they stopped them?
She went against the flow of people, grabbed two more people for questioning, and learned that the Imperial Guards and the Imperial Army had been fighting for a long time on East Chang Street. So she ran towards East Chang Street.
The closer she got, the more panicked she became. When she turned the corner and saw the crowd fighting in the long passageway, with thick blood filling the air, Qin Sang still gasped.
The most eye-catching exchange was between Jinyun and Tan Bi, one domineering and ruthless, the other light and agile. Both were injured, but judging from the speed of their attacks, Tan Bi seemed to be somewhat fatigued and running out of strength.
She shouted, "Jinyun! Where is your young master?"
Upon hearing this, Jinyun was about to cry again.
"Young lady, please save the young master!" As he spoke, he nimbly dodged Tan Bi's sword, even stepping on the tip of the sword with his toes and using the momentum to kick Tan Bi in the jaw, knocking him to the ground.
"Well done!" Qin Sang shouted to encourage him, then picked up a weapon and charged into the melee.
By the time she fought her way through the encirclement and reached Xie Sui'an's side, her eyes were already closed, her face was deathly pale, and she was almost unconscious.
She looked down to examine the wound and saw a horizontal cut across her abdomen, almost tearing the flesh open.
Even though I was mentally prepared, I still felt a sharp jolt in my heart.
She immediately threw aside her silver needle pack and pierced several acupuncture points to stop the bleeding. Then she tore off a piece of her dress and used it to carefully wrap the wounds.
However, if the bleeding is not stopped immediately with stitches, even if she were a miracle worker, she wouldn't be able to save the person.
After doing all this, she anxiously got up and looked around, staring at Jinyun who was entangled with Tan Bi, not knowing what to do for a moment.
If Jinyun were to withdraw to rescue the people, Tan Bi's army would advance swiftly into the inner palace, and the old emperor wouldn't be able to hide for long. However, if Jinyun were to continue to restrain Tan Bi, she alone wouldn't be able to get rid of Xie Sui'an.
How should she choose? She looked at Xie Sui'an, whose eyes were tightly closed and whose lips were pale, and felt anxious and uneasy.
Why are reinforcements so late?!
After looking around, she decided she couldn't just sit and wait to die; she had to find some medicine. But she couldn't leave him here; it wasn't safe.
She used all her strength to pull the person by the shoulder into the alley, but after only two steps, a cold wind suddenly swept from behind. Qin Sang quickly turned around and then tripped the person with a sweeping kick.
The commotion attracted the attention of more peripheral soldiers. They had more men than the Imperial Guards, and the soldiers trailing behind were either not strong enough or cowardly and dared not charge. If they could pick off a nobleman, it would be much easier to claim credit in the future.
Seeing the crowd surrounding them, Qin Sang felt a surge of anger, but she was still willing to give them a chance to turn back. While gritting her teeth and dragging them away, she said, "The Emperor has deposed the Crown Prince and appointed the Prince of Ning'an. You followed Tan Bi in the rebellion, and your entire family will be executed in the future. Turn back before it's too late, the reinforcements have already broken in."
These people had already heard the argument between the two sides. Although they couldn't tell who was telling the truth and who was lying, since they had decided to follow Tan Bi, they only had one path to take as long as Tan Bi didn't order a retreat.
"Hmph, don't be stubborn when you're about to die. Why didn't you stay inside and instead ran out..."
Before she finished speaking, Qin Sang kicked up the swords and knives beside her, which instantly pierced the man's throat.
Everyone was stunned for a moment before realizing what was happening and showing expressions of fear.
"She...she seems to be the future princess consort of Prince Ning'an..." someone mentioned at that moment.
The crowd, which was about to disperse, suddenly looked at each other, a strange glint in their eyes. Yes, a defenseless, seemingly frail young woman had merely killed one person by chance, and they were already scared off?
Impossible. Killing Princess Ning'an—what a great achievement that would be! It goes without saying.
So everyone gripped their sword hilts, held their breath for a moment, and rushed toward Qin Sang.
As if to add to the festivities, the rain in the sky changed from fine to coarse, like a densely woven net, enveloping everyone in it.
Qin Sang released his grip, silently picked up the cold sword beside him, and charged into the crowd like a god of death, each slash aimed straight at the throat, thinking to himself: Since I am unwilling to live a good life in this life, then I will go to the next life.
Blood splattered, mingling with the drizzle to form a river. She trudged through the blood, unable to kill all those who came seeking death.
"Faster, faster! Once we've wiped out this wave, I can take him away from here," she thought.
Suddenly, the sounds of clashing swords and galloping horses came from behind, followed by soldiers bravely charging into the fray. They bypassed Qin Sang and, like a flood diverting its course, rushed into the narrow alley.
Qin Sang turned around and saw Prince Ning'an sitting upright on a tall horse behind him, as if on a bell.
All her strength was released, and she said "Finally here" repeatedly. Her strength was gone, and the sword hilt slipped from her hand. She ran towards Xie Sui'an without stopping for a moment.
"Jinyun!" she shouted, suppressing her panic.
Jinyun arrived, along with more soldiers to help. However, the person in his arms was ice-cold, stiff, and lifeless.
"Xie Sui'an, don't sleep." Qin Sang's voice trembled slightly, but it was soft, as if she was afraid of startling the person in her arms. "Wake up, talk to me, Xie Sui'an!"
The voice gradually grew louder, tinged with barely suppressed sobs: "Xie Sui'an? Don't sleep! I won't marry Prince Ning'an anymore. I'll marry you, okay? Open your eyes and look at me."
Finally, she shrieked in his ear, "Xie Sui'an! Did you hear me? I told you to open your eyes! Don't sleep, Xie Sui'an... Xie Sui'an!"
She touched his cold, pale face, recalling his dashing and unrestrained spirit when she first met him, and felt as if it were a lifetime ago.
A face that was once so vibrant is now lifeless with its eyes closed.
Why did he have to fall for her, only to leave so suddenly? Even though he knows he'll have an afterlife, the person he'll be in that life will never be the same.
The autumn rain is silent, yet it is enough to soak a person through.
However, the war was far from over.
The Imperial Guards and the troops brought by Prince Ning'an clashed even more fiercely, with killing and being killed taking place throughout the long streets and corridors of the palace.
Furthermore, outside the palace gates, the remnants of the Night Owl Kingdom, gathered from all around the capital, were gradually coalescing into an army. Xie Xiao, wearing a bamboo hat and seated on his horse, gazed up at the magnificent palace gates, lost in thought.
He would wait for a command, until the fighting inside had exhausted them, before he could go in, reap the benefits, and avenge his wrongdoing.
Actually, he had never been particularly interested in this, but the people gathered here had sparkling eyes, clearly having been looking forward to it for a long time.
Although he remained outwardly calm, he couldn't help but think that, apart from himself, everyone else probably harbored deep hatred for the Kingdom of Night Owls. The Night Owl Kingdom in his mind was the one his mother had told him about; he had never actually experienced it himself.
But there's no way around it; one must fulfill one's duties in one's position, and even if one is being pushed forward, one cannot stop.
However, before he could receive the final order to charge, Bai Yiqing, dressed in black and riding a white horse, came galloping up from behind to flank him.
“No need to wait any longer. I’ve already removed Mother’s spies.” He spoke coldly, his words startling.
Xie Xiao recognized the person who had come, and upon hearing this, his lips moved slightly.
What Bai Yiqing brought were the troops stationed in the south of the capital. The military tally he held was the Emperor's trust in Prince Ning'an, and also Prince Ning'an's trust in him.
Xie Xiao stared at him, expressionless, and said, "Do you know how long your mother has been planning for tonight?"
Bai Yiqing: "...I know."
Xie Xiao: "Do you know that she did all this for you?"
Bai Yiqing said, "It's not for me."
Xie Xiao: "??"
Bai Yiqing: "She did it for her own selfish desires, it has nothing to do with me. What she did was not what I wanted, I only wish for peace in the world."
Xie Xiao paused, then suddenly laughed. The more he laughed, the more ridiculous it seemed. He suddenly felt a sense of shared misery, but it was mixed with envy, disappointment, self-mockery, and helplessness.
After laughing enough, he sighed, "What a fine phrase, 'Peace reigns throughout the world.'"
Perhaps out of unease at being surrounded by a large force, or perhaps seeing that their lord lacked the will to fight, Xie Xiao's leader couldn't help but shout a sarcastic remark: "You slaughtered the people of my Night Owl Kingdom, plundered my treasures, and left our corpses in the wilderness. Why didn't you talk about peace and prosperity then?! How laughable! This is your world, not ours. We only want revenge for our fathers and brothers!! Brothers, the palace is right in front of us. Follow me and charge in to take the emperor's dog head!"
The impassioned words spurred the Night Owl Kingdom soldiers, who had been eager to fight for their kingdom since embarking on the path of restoration, to disregard their own lives. Upon hearing that they were to storm the palace, a fierce expression appeared on each of their faces: "Kill! Kill! Kill!"
Having said that, the leader raised his long sword and led his men toward the palace gates. They absolutely could not be surrounded and disarmed at the foot of the imperial city; even if they died, they would go in and fight to their hearts' content!
Bai Yiqing frowned. He hadn't expected these desperate criminals to leave him no way out, rushing towards the palace.
Xie Xiao's warhorse swayed back and forth in the charging crowd. He looked at Bai Yiqing expressionlessly and said, "See? I'm just a decoration. No one can stop them." He chuckled and spurred his horse, following the flow of people into the palace.
Bai Yiqing's face turned cold. He had not wanted to storm the palace, but now he had no choice but to ask the general to lead troops into the palace to purge the inhabitants.
Overnight, the palace was littered with corpses.
Only the remaining forces were engaged in sporadic fighting. Tan Bi's Imperial Guards were rendered ineffective by the long-dormant troops of Su Lou, and he himself was exhausted by the crazed Jin Yun, and was forced to hide in a palace garden.
The soldiers of Night Owl Kingdom were gradually wiped out by the men brought by Bai Yiqing. Years of grudges finally turned into resentment and sighs, and everything finally settled down.
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