Chapter 39 Her slender body shone brightly
This story was told to Yao Qingling by her father.
It is said that a group of foreigners were captured, and the benevolent general imprisoned them to await their fate.
However, these men broke free of their bonds in the middle of the night, killed the guards, burned the grain supplies to create chaos, and mingled with the civilians, opening the city gates wide, leading to the defeat of the battle.
So when the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery captured tens of thousands of prisoners, Qingling asked why he didn't kill them all.
She had seen how those people ravaged the border residents; they deserved to die, to be buried with the dead border residents!
But the father shook his head and said, "Killing surrendered soldiers is an ominous sign."
Several generals of the previous dynasty killed surrendered soldiers, and none of them met a good end.
At that time, Qingling did not understand the meaning of those words. She only saw that her father had kept the prisoners outside the city, depriving them of food and water, exhausting their strength, and sparing their lives.
Afterwards, the imperial court negotiated with the Yi people and released the prisoners.
Her father, however, did not have a peaceful end simply because he spared the lives of the prisoners.
He merely traded his life for the posthumous title of "Loyal and Brave Marquis," and for the glory of the Yao family.
After his death, four cities in the southwest fell into the hands of the Yi people, and have not been recovered to this day.
"...Now, to execute a general who has rendered meritorious service to the country in order to quell the anger of the Japanese people and obtain so-called peace, isn't this a cowardly act?"
"After this ceasefire, how long can the so-called period of recuperation and recovery last? A year? Two years? Five years? How many more soldiers and civilians will die in the war?"
"The enemy will only think that we, the people of Li, are weak and easy to bully, and will continue to invade and make increasingly outrageous demands. The four border countries are eyeing us covetously. Today Ying takes a bite, tomorrow Yue takes a bite, and there will never be peace... We have cut off one arm of our own hands, lost the soldiers who can protect the country and the people, lost a strong backing, and can only be slaughtered by others."
In Qingling's veins, blood surged rapidly, and she felt herself surging, her chest filled with power; she clenched her fingers, pinched her palms, suppressed this intense emotion, and forced herself to continue speaking in a calm tone.
"...Killing prisoners to intimidate the enemy, to frighten them, to make them remember the pain, so they won't dare to invade again... What I thought was the prohibition against killing surrendered prisoners was when we were strong enough to capture and release them at will, then it wouldn't be too late to talk about not killing surrendered prisoners..."
Lin Shiyuan had his back to Yao Qingling, so he couldn't see her expression or movements as she spoke, but the power emanating from her calm tone shocked him.
The State of Li valued literature over military prowess and governed the world with benevolence. It was wealthy, but not powerful, and was coveted by neighboring states.
Without the ability to protect the country, without a strong and powerful fist, how can we repel those covetous, green-glowing, drooling jackals and tigers?
Lin Shiyuan thought no one could understand him, but now a woman spoke out with a strong and clear voice!
When a nation is strong in both civil and military affairs, confident and powerful enough to truly look down upon the world, when it can arrest and release at will, then foreign enemies will not dare to invade.
Releasing prisoners and demonstrating national power is not too late.
His heart pounded, his fists clenched, and a strange light shone in his eyes.
He wanted to see the woman, but the cage was too small for him to move; he could only listen to her continue.
Zhan Xingzhuo looked at the woman calmly telling her story on the stage. Her voice was not very loud. Compared with the men, she was not only beautiful but also petite. However, she had a more powerful and moving presence than the scholars.
The sunlight fell on her, making her slender body shimmer.
She silenced the scholars.
At this moment, a scholar suddenly asked her, "Who are you?"
Yao Qingling spoke slowly and clearly: "Yao Qingling is the daughter of the late Marquis of Zhongyong, Yao Rui."
Zhan Xingzhuo suddenly snapped out of his daze, clenched his fists, and stared straight at her, his gaze seeming to want to crush her.
Time has passed, and people have long forgotten that general, let alone Yao Qingling.
But gradually, someone remembered: "Was it... the general whose wife committed suicide for love?"
Yao Qingling suddenly found these words laughable.
Only ten years have passed, and that valiant general has been forgotten. What people remember is the phrase "die for love."
At that moment, a loud commotion suddenly arose in the crowd. People started talking, and many remembered that ten years ago, there was a little girl who was not even as tall as the coffin. She held onto the coffin and silently entered through the city gate, all the way to the mansion of the Marquis of Zhongyong, which was bestowed by the emperor.
"So she is the daughter of the late Marquis of Zhongyong... I heard she was born on the battlefield, she has seen the real hell on earth, so she is more qualified to speak than these scholars..."
Minglu couldn't help but say, "Master, I remember now too, back then, the young mistress—"
When the remains of the late Marquis Zhongyong and his wife were returned to the capital, it was the height of summer.
To prevent decay, ice and spices were placed inside the coffin, but they couldn't mask the stench. Everyone who passed by covered their mouths and noses, nearly vomiting.
Meanwhile, the wealthy and powerful families and businesses in the vicinity simply closed their doors and windows, so as not to interfere with their enjoyment.
Minglu remembered that even though the young mistress was so close to the coffin, her expression didn't change at all, and she didn't shed a single tear.
Minglu was still young then. He only caught a glimpse of the scene when he was out on official business, squeezed into the crowd. Now, recalling it, he felt a mix of excitement and sympathy.
He suddenly remembered that the young mistress never used her deceased parents to elicit sympathy.
But when he turned around and saw his master's ugly expression, he realized something.
—The young mistress is a woman confined to the inner quarters; how can she speak so freely about state affairs in public?
"The daughter of the late Marquis of Zhongyong...didn't she marry into the Duke of Zhan's household?" someone brought it up again. "But her husband and that disgraced official's daughter are sworn siblings, so what's going on here..."
She openly challenged her husband, publicly took sides, and drew a line between them!
Zhan Xingzhuo's face turned completely dark: "Minglu, go and bring the young mistress here!"
With that, he turned and went back to the carriage with a sullen face.
After a while, Minglu brought Yao Qingling over.
Qingling boarded the carriage, glanced at the man whose face was so dark it seemed to drip water, and sat quietly opposite him.
I kept my distance from him.
Zhan Xingzhuo instructed them to continue their journey to Yongning Temple.
His gaze was fixed intently on Qingling, his eyes seeming to want to tear her apart.
Qingling pursed her lips.
Strands of her hair fell down, framing her face. She brushed them aside, revealing a swollen bump on her forehead.
But she couldn't care less about that at the moment.
She was still in a state of emotional turmoil, her heart pounding.
Facing Zhan Xingzhuo's angry gaze, she quietly clenched her silk skirt.
But she did not admit her mistake.
The air felt like it was frozen.
Zhan Xingzhuo stared at it for a long time.
He planned to gradually coax her along the way to Yongning Temple, soften her heart, and get her to continue being a virtuous wife and not oppose him.
But she went to the stands to support a disgraced official, even revealing her family background and openly stating that she did not share his views!
Only Zhan Xingzhuo himself knew how angry he was at that moment.
Right now, he really wanted to kick Yao Qingling off the carriage, he didn't want to see her; he also wanted her to apologize and say that she would never talk nonsense again.
"Yao Qingling—" he began, his voice so deep it sounded like he was biting her between his teeth, tearing her apart.
Suddenly, he thought to himself, "Didn't those people say that he was protecting the daughter of a disgraced official, and that he was abusing his wife?"
But Yao Qingling just showed up like that, and was able to defend others clearly and logically. Isn't that the best proof that he is tolerant of his wife and treats her very well?
Does this mean he wasn't protecting the daughter of a disgraced official, but rather that he pitied an old friend and, out of benevolence, took care of his adopted sister?
Doesn't that prove that he didn't imprison his wife because of Zhou Zhining?
Zhan Xingzhu suppressed his anger between his fingers, slowly kneading them, a smile playing on his lips.
He picked up the teapot on the low table, poured her a cup of tea, and said casually, "After talking so much, aren't you thirsty?"
Yao Qingling stared at the cup of tea with suspicion and looked at Zhan Xingzhuo warily.
Just a moment ago, he had a dark and menacing expression, but now he was smiling at her and even serving her tea.
"No, I'm not thirsty," Qingling refused him.
Zhan Xingzhuo wasn't angry. He bent his arm and drank the tea himself.
He said, "It's still an hour's journey to Yongning Temple. You can rest for a while."
His tone was as casual as if he were talking about everyday things.
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