Chapter 81 Chapter 81 The army returns triumphantly.
Xue Yuanyin clenched her silver chopsticks tightly. She had been calm for such a long time, but suddenly this news created a ripple and caught her off guard.
Before she could recover, Princess Ning Yan hesitated and said:
"It's just that there have been some rumors circulating recently..."
Xue Yuanyin was called back to her senses and asked absentmindedly, "What news?"
Princess Ning Yan's beautiful face was tangled up in a ball. After hesitating for a while, she whispered:
"Someone in the community witnessed the army's return journey and saw a low mood among the troops. It didn't look like they had won a victory. It seemed that an important leader had been killed in the battle..."
Xue Yuanyin suddenly turned around, seemingly with no change in expression, but her voice was slightly tense:
"Who died?"
"I don't know who sacrificed. My brother didn't say, but everyone says it was..."
Princess Ning Yan's lips twitched, as if she couldn't bear it, and she swallowed her words back. She hesitated for a moment, then said lamely, "Don't think too much. Maybe it's not him? We'll know tomorrow morning!"
It would be better not to say this, Princess Ning Yan consciously shut her mouth.
Xue Yuanyin was so disturbed by Princess Ning Yan's words that she lost all mood for eating. She reluctantly ate with her for a while before putting down her chopsticks.
Ning Yan probably noticed that she was in a bad mood, so she paid her in advance and sent her back home.
Xue Yuanyin sat on the stone table in the yard for a while. She had not paid attention to what was happening outside the window for too long and actually missed such important news. No wonder Su Mian looked hesitant when he left.
Two and a half years passed quickly, but also felt very long. She spent a year at Sanhe Pass and another year and a half in the capital. Counting it all, she hadn't seen him for two and a half years.
Xue Yuanyin suddenly felt a sense of "homesickness" and had to admit that her feelings towards him could even be described as unfamiliar.
But who can I turn to for information now?
Although Zhang Jingxuan told her before he left that she could seek help from the prince, the current emperor, if she had any problems, Xue Yuanyin would not be so foolish. If she really went to find the emperor, she would only waste all the favors he had earned for her.
Xue Yuanyin thought about it and waited until the end of the court period to look for Chen Su.
Shen Suo was currently working in the Ministry of Personnel. Although he was young and his official title was not high, he held real power. As soon as he left the yamen, Xue Yuanyin found him at the entrance of the Ministry of Personnel and called out to him, "Master Shen, do you have time? I want to talk to you about something."
Shen Suo is now a court official, so it is not an exaggeration to call him "Lord Shen".
Unexpectedly, Chen Su seemed to see through her thoughts and shook his head and said, "I don't know what you want to know."
After a pause, he tactfully said, "The battle report was presented to the Emperor, but he didn't reveal it to anyone else. Therefore, the truth of that rumor circulating in the streets is unknown... It's possible it's true, but it's also possible the Emperor wants to use this information to lure out the dissidents currently hiding within the court."
Xue Yuanyin immediately understood what he meant. Upon hearing the news of Zhang Jingxuan's death, the hidden dissidents in the court would surely seize the opportunity to launch an attack. This was a good opportunity for the emperor to eliminate those who were against him.
So no one knew whether it was true or not. No one knew whether the emperor had deliberately spread false information to confuse outsiders, or whether the emperor had used the real information to set up a trap.
This method is very similar to Zhang Jingxuan's previous style. Was it Zhang Jingxuan who taught it to the emperor in the Eastern Palace?
Xue Yuanyin thanked Chen Lu and returned to the house. It was already dark and she should have gone to bed after dinner, but unfortunately she tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep.
She thought she would be calm when this day came, but she thought that even though she had prepared herself mentally for two or six months, she would still feel dazed when she heard his name again.
She wanted to meet him again so much, but she was afraid to meet him again.
Xue Yuanyin thought to herself with self-mockery, even if he came back safely, could they really go back to the way they were before?
Maybe he had lost interest in her a long time ago.
If this is really the case, she will never take the initiative to get entangled and will just regard this relationship as completely over.
After figuring this out, Xue Yuanyin felt more at ease and gradually fell asleep with her eyes closed.
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At noon the next day, the sun was shining brightly and the cicadas were chirping non-stop.
On this scorching summer day when street vendors should have packed up their stalls and gone out to cool off, the enthusiasm of the people in the capital remained undiminished. They gathered on both sides of the city walls, waiting for the army to return triumphantly.
Xue Yuanyin was also waiting with Princess Ning Yan in a private room on the second floor of a teahouse on the side of the city wall.
She didn't want to come at first, feeling inexplicably nervous and wanting to avoid it. In the end, Princess Ning Yan forcibly pulled her up from the bed and brought two skillful palace maids to dress her up, saying with certainty:
"Don't you know what day it is? How can you not dress nicely?"
Xue Yuanyin understood what she was thinking, but she didn't want to make it so grand as to show how much she valued her and how much she cared for her. She was also worried that she would see bad news, so she refused repeatedly:
"Ning Yan, I'm very grateful to you, but it's really not necessary. I can just hide in the crowd and watch."
Princess Ning Yan pressed her against the bronze mirror, grieving her for not fighting for her life. "If he returns triumphantly, you'll welcome him as a hero. If he dies at Qintang Pass, you'll witness the peace and tranquility he risked his life to create. Don't be so unpromising!"
Xue Yuanyin's face flushed with anger, and she felt awkward. She stubbornly clarified, "I don't miss him, let alone worry about him. I just want to know if he survived."
Princess Ning Yan said, "Okay, okay, it's me who misses my ex-lover and I want to see him, okay?"
Xue Yuanyin finally decided to shut up and not continue arguing with her.
In the end, Princess Ning Yan forced her to dress properly before bringing her out. She wore the apricot-red, waisted, diamond-shaped blouse Princess Ning Yan had given her, made of kesi brocade, a material only available in the palace's clothing bureau. She also accessorized her look with a head full of pearls and jade pendants. Looking in the mirror, she felt radiant, so beautiful she seemed unlike herself.
Princess Ning Yan was very satisfied and praised, "That's more like you. Don't stay cooped up in your room all day. If he really dies, I'll introduce you to a few more young talents. I guarantee you'll be dazzled by the choices!"
Xue Yuanyin didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but her mood did improve a lot.
The private rooms in the roadside teahouse had already been booked, but Princess Ning Yan was of such a noble status that it was easy for her to get a private room by the window. Xue Yuanyin was able to drink tea and wait quietly here thanks to the princess.
It was a coincidence that she and Princess Ning Yan had never met before, but in the past two years, they had grown increasingly close, now almost as familiar as sisters. This friendship was entirely due to Princess Ning Yan's constant desire to share the little things she had to say about her and the abstinent monk.
Xue Yuanyin's gaze fell on the streets below the window, and his eyes froze slightly.
In addition to the civilians, there were several prison carts pulled by a team of guards under the city wall. Xue Chang was imprisoned in one of them. Although he had become a prisoner and no longer had the majestic demeanor of the past, his eyes were still sharp and he seemed not to fall because of any difficulties.
Xue Yuanyin's heart was filled with mixed emotions. Although she hated Xue Chang, she had to admit that they were blood relatives. Seeing him like this, she felt uncomfortable.
Princess Ning Yan noticed her gaze and explained, "My royal brother said that the army has returned triumphantly to the capital, and that His Royal Highness Prince Yu and Marquis Qing'an should also witness this spectacle. Therefore, I have brought them here as well. I want them to realize that expanding territory for one's own grand ambitions is selfish and will only harm the people. Peace is what the people want and what the people of Great Zhou desire."
Xue Yuanyin smiled and said softly, "Your Majesty is benevolent and wise, and is a blessing to the people."
She withdrew her gaze and no longer looked at Xue Chang in the prison car.
Suddenly, the people under the city wall became agitated. The guards maintained order and the scene was not chaotic, but the faintly restless cheers still exposed their excitement.
Xue Yuanyin immediately leaned over and lay down by the window to look down.
The city gate slowly opened, and the vanguard of the oncoming scale-armored army stepped into the city gate with a shaking momentum. Their faces were stern and their expressions were firm. Half of them were holding red silk and the other half were holding white flags.
It was clearly a victory, but they were unusually quiet, without any sign of joy.
Looking back, the military inspector's carriage was in the front, slowly passing by following the team. Further back, in the middle, there was a chestnut horse accompanied by two teams of soldiers in armor and weapons, guarding and leading the way.
On top of the steed, a young man with clear eyebrows and eyes as handsome as green mountains and ink was riding on the horse. He was wearing cold soft armor and holding something in his arms, which looked like a box.
Looking further back, General Xun, who was supposed to return to Beijing with the army, was nowhere to be seen.
Everyone looked at what was in the young man's arms and gradually fell silent.
No wonder he didn't show any joy after winning the battle against Western Qiang. It turned out that the box was the urn of General Xun.
But a few days ago, news came from the Xun Mansion that General Xun's granddaughter had just been born, and the eldest son of the Xun family was eagerly looking forward to General Xun's return to see his granddaughter.
Xue Yuanyin's eyes immediately fixed on the figure on the maroon horse, and she looked at him intently. His skin was still fair, but he had lost a lot of weight, his facial features had become more angular, and his eyes were sharper than before.
Before she could figure out what was happening, she was startled by the commotion below. She saw several men in black quickly rushing out from behind the prison vans, running towards them with swift and agile movements, intending to kidnap people!
The guards guarding the prison van reacted very quickly. They immediately drew their swords and engaged in a fight with the men in black, preventing them from getting close to the prison van or hurting ordinary people.
Both sides came prepared, and the Imperial Guards intended to wipe out the remaining members of the opposition, so they struck ruthlessly with their swords and blood was soon shed.
On the other side, Qin Fang came out from the dark and evacuated the people in an orderly manner.
The location of the prison van was specially chosen, and there were no civilians around, so it was easy to evacuate now.
A fight quickly broke out below with swords and sabers. The people were a little panicked, and screams rose and fell continuously.
The Imperial Guards had a large number of people and quickly gained the upper hand. Seeing that the situation was hopeless, the men in black gave up their plan to rescue the hostages and began to fight and retreat. Seeing this, Xue Chang made a gesture in the prison car.
Even though he was quickly taken away by the Royal Guards, the man in black still saw his secret signal. He raised his hand and revealed a small sharp arrow from his sleeve. It was extremely sharp and gleaming with a cold light.
He made a sudden move and the sharp arrow flew straight towards the man sitting high on the horse!
Xue Yuanyin was so frightened by this sudden accident that his chest was pounding and his heart was beating in his throat. The remaining people who had not yet evacuated also shouted in fear.
The sharp arrow flew straight towards Zhang Jingxuan's solar plexus. It was so fast and the attack was so tricky that it was obvious that the angle had been calculated long ago. It was difficult to dodge!
The arrow hit the head, and everyone held their breath. At that moment, the gentle and thin young man tilted his head quickly in a flash, and the tip of the arrow brushed past his forehead, leaving a streak of blood.
He was actually well prepared and avoided this tricky plot!
Amidst the vast crowd of Black Scale Army, Zhang Jingxuan sat steadily atop his steed, nonchalantly wiping the blood from his forehead. He glanced down at Xue Chang, who was being escorted away by the Imperial Guards, and raised the corners of his lips, his smile not reaching his eyes, as he said calmly:
"Thank goodness I arrived safely in Beijing. I'm sorry to disappoint you, uncle."
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Author's note: I added a few hundred words to the plot of the previous chapter an hour after it was published (around 16:00 yesterday). It's very late in the chapter. If you read it early, please go back and read it again [Please]
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