In the White Lotus Sect's military camp, Meng Gexing's followers were patrolling the area in an orderly manner, and the main tent in the camp was heavily guarded.
They carried swords, wore leather armor, and had the White Lotus Sect's uniform white headscarves tied around their foreheads. Despite more than nine months of fighting, their faces showed no sign of fatigue. Their eyes shone with hope and anticipation for a better future.
Inside the tent, the red candles had already burned halfway down.
The setting sun streamed through the window cracks, illuminating the undulating sand table. Various colored flags were planted on the sand table, and on the outskirts of the capital city, surrounded by layers of city walls, were small, bright red flags of the White Lotus Sect.
That was the result of Meng Gexing's more than nine months of hard work.
Meng Gexing stared at the flags, then slowly shifted his gaze back to Qingchen. "A pincer attack from both sides, like catching a turtle in a jar... It seems you've won this round again, Lord Shen."
Just as Qingchen understood him, Meng Gexing understood her just as well. There was no need to send spies; he knew she wouldn't lie, and that the King of Shu must still have an army of 100,000 hidden beneath his command. In truth, when they conquered Shu, he felt it had gone too smoothly. They both assumed Zhu Rui was simply cowardly and kept a close watch on the regional princes, but little did they know…
Qingchen's heart stirred slightly.
"The document regarding the surrender is on the ground." She gestured with her chin. "Take a look."
Before coming, she wasn't sure he would believe her. But whether he believed her or not, whether the Ming Dynasty survived or perished, he would eventually have to fight those 100,000 men. And his position was not advantageous; if he remained inactive, his supplies would inevitably run out. If he wanted to retreat unscathed, he could only accept the offer of amnesty.
Meng Gexing remained silent, only fixing his gaze on her, a shadow falling over his handsome face, completely ignoring the document offering amnesty.
Is this fate? Back in Yunnan, he had failed to defeat her time and again. Now, no matter how invincible he is, he still cannot win against her.
“You were not adequately prepared to begin with,” Qingchen continued. “You should know that this uprising is fraught with great risk. So if we lose, you should be able to bear the consequences.”
He looked at her for a long while, then said in a hoarse voice, "You should go."
She pursed her lips, about to speak, when he interrupted her.
"I didn't call you here today to negotiate. I have no interest in saying anything else right now."
Only the victor is king, and only those who win the world have the right to steal the woman they love.
“Meng Gexing,” Qingchen blinked and said softly, “accept the offer of amnesty. At least you can still live. You still have so many followers who have risked their lives for you. Even if you don’t care about yourself, think about them.”
“I will not surrender.” He looked at her coldly, his eyes revealing a rough yet resilient quality. “Get out of here, Lord Shen. There’s no need to persuade me any further.”
She sighed softly and advised again, "Meng Gexing, now is not the time to act rashly. You know better than me that as long as we live, we can fight again. If we insist on fighting this time, it will inevitably cause countless deaths and injuries. You have lost your parents, but you still have a younger brother. Have you thought about who will take care of him after you die? Have you thought about how many people will end up like you, losing their loved ones and having their children suffer the pain of parents outliving their children?"
"Enough!" he suddenly interrupted him, his voice gruff. "I don't need you to tell me these things. I will walk my own path."
"You wait, I won't lose."
"..."
Qingchen knew that, given his personality, she would never be able to persuade him otherwise.
In front of him were the heavy walls of the capital, and behind him was the army of 100,000 men of the King of Shu. If he refused to surrender, then there was only one path he could take.
Qingchen: "Think about it some more. When you've made up your mind, you can send someone to let us know. We're leaving now."
He narrowed his eyes slightly, looked at her, and said coldly, "Bring Lu Shenyun in!"
Soon, two burly men brought Lu Shenyun in.
“Meng Gexing?” She frowned slightly.
Meng Gexing remained silent, but stepped forward and suddenly drew his sword from its sheath, holding it to Lu Shenyun's neck. "Lord Lu, we've been fighting for many years. My followers have harassed you for so many years, and you've been investigating me for so many years. Today, we finally see each other's true faces."
Qingchen looked at them nervously, "Meng Gexing, what are you going to do!"
He turned and glared at her, saying coldly, "Kill him."
“I told you you could leave. But I didn’t say he could leave.” He continued, “He is the number one general of the Ming Dynasty, brave and skilled in battle. If I kill him now, there will be one less major obstacle on the battlefield in the future.”
You can't kill him!
“Why not?” He frowned at her. “I have no bottom line when it comes to my actions. Zhu Rui was unkind to me, so I will be unkind to his people. I’ll cut off Lu Shenyun’s head and give it to Zhu Rui as a snack.”
"Do it." Lu Shenyun, who had been silent, finally spoke without blinking. "Kill me, then release her."
Before he could finish speaking, Meng Gexing grabbed his collar, and with a slight twist of his wrist, the blade embedded itself in his flesh. A bright red welt appeared on Lu Shenyun's neck.
Qingchen shuddered and gasped.
Lu Shenyun's face remained cold, his thin lips pressed tightly together. "If you're still a man, remember, release her after you kill me."
Meng Gexing looked at him, then turned to look at Qingchen, whose lips had turned pale. After a moment, he gave a bold yet bitter smile, threw the knife on the ground, and said, "Get out, all of you get out."
The burly man holding Lu Shenyun said urgently, "Boss, this is the number one military general of the Ming Dynasty. Don't let him go."
"Let them go."
Releasing a tiger back into the mountains is certainly unwise, but a man's problems must be solved on the battlefield.
On the way back to the capital, Qingchen and Lu Shenyun sat together in the carriage.
At the dusty intersection, yellow sand billowed, and the setting sun bleed-red. The carriage came to a stop.
She looked at the wound on his neck and asked softly, "Does it hurt?"
"No."
She frowned. "You're always like this, never saying it hurts."
Beneath the black robes of the Imperial Guards lay a passionate and unyielding man. Lu Shenyun, do you know how good a person you are?
As darkness fell, a faint light shone through the curtains. He gently touched her temple, his eyes filled with tenderness. "I'm so glad you're alright."
Are you going back to the military camp?
"Mm." He nodded gently.
Meng Gexing's refusal to surrender meant that there was still a battle to be fought; as a military general, he could not leave the battlefield.
"We must part ways here," he said.
"...Meng Gexing has been driven to a dead end, he will definitely fight with all his might," Qingchen said. "You must be careful. No matter how long the fight lasts, you must come back safely."
“I will.” He looked at her intently, then reached out to lift the carriage curtain. “I’m leaving.”
"Um."
He rode away, and her carriage headed towards the capital. She sat in the carriage, leaning against the window, looking back at him.
Under the setting sun, a lone figure on horseback, amidst billowing yellow smoke, cast a long, solitary shadow.
She stared blankly, as if she could see the man turn around, sword drawn, on his horse. On the chestnut steed, his smile was so youthful and beautiful.
...
A day after parting ways with Lu Shenyun, before Qingchen's carriage even reached the outskirts of the capital, a group of people caught up with her.
Qingchen lifted the curtain in confusion and asked, only to find out that these people were Jinyiwei (Imperial Guards).
“Lord Shen,” one of them said, “we have been sent by Lord Lu to inform you that the Three Judicial Offices have concluded the case of Grand Secretary Song and presented the results to the Emperor. The Emperor… sentenced Grand Secretary Song to death by hanging.”
Hanging?!
Qingchen froze, astonished, "His Majesty promised me that he wouldn't order the Three Judicial Offices to hold a trial before I returned..."
The Imperial Guard simply shook his head. "The situation has changed, and the execution will take place today. Lord Lu sent us to help Lord Shen. Lord Shen has something that could save his life, so you should hurry to the West Market!"
The carriage sped quickly toward the West Market. Summer in the capital was rather muggy.
Qingchen sat in the car, her heart pounding, and her right eyelid kept twitching, making her very uncomfortable.
Zhu Rui, a gentleman, actually went back on his word!
Hanging... He wanted to hang Song Yue...
No, don't.
She traveled alone to this unfamiliar dynasty and finally met him. Only after meeting him did she understand what a gentle breeze and bright moon meant, what it meant to feel like a spring breeze, and what it meant to risk one's life for the country... How could they so rudely take him away?
don't want.
When Qingchen rushed to the West Market, it was already close to noon.
Today's executioner was none other than the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. He sat behind his desk, occasionally glancing up at the sun and then at the direction of the city gate. He had already dawdled for over an hour during the "identity verification" process, and the common people had been driven a hundred paces away, not allowed to get close to watch.
Song Yue was shackled around the neck and on his hands and feet, with a wooden plaque stuck in his back, and was being forced to kneel on the ground by two men.
There was no panic in his eyes, as if he had made up his mind to leave and was calm and composed. Today seemed to be just another ordinary day among countless others.
When she saw him, tears welled up in her eyes.
After dawdling and wishing time would stand still, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review finally saw Qingchen arrive. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her rushing over.
“Lord Luo,” she said, walking past Song Yue to the executioner’s table and presenting the golden book and iron certificate, barely managing to maintain her composure, “according to the Great Ming Code…”
"I knew you'd make it back in time." The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review immediately ordered his men to remove Song Yue's shackles. "Take your teacher with you now."
"He hasn't seen the sun for more than half a year, and now he's very weak."
"The master wants me to take him away?" She was somewhat surprised and touched.
While a golden edict and iron certificate can indeed exempt one from the death penalty, one cannot escape punishment. Song Yue is still a guilty man and should be escorted back to prison to await the emperor's judgment.
Let's go.
"Thank you, sir! I will remember your kindness forever."
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Qingchen went up to Xingtai and helped Song Yue up.
Her voice trembled slightly, "Teacher, let's go."
...
Once the two men were on the carriage, it drove away from the execution ground.
Qingchen hadn't expected the two of them to be traveling together today, so she hadn't made any prior plans. After some hesitation, she decided to go to Cheng Yi's clinic first.
She hadn't spoken to him for over half a year. Sitting next to him, she didn't know how to begin, and after a long pause, she finally uttered two words, "Teacher..."
Song Yue turned her head and smiled slightly. "I thought I would never see you again."
The moment the words left her lips, Qingchen's tears finally broke free and flowed freely. More than half a year had passed; she hadn't heard his voice for over six months. On the way back, her heart felt as if it were being tightly clutched, her tension and worry suffocating her.
"Don't cry," he said softly. "It's alright, don't cry."
She continued to weep silently, her eyes blurred with tears.
Separation by life and death may seem like just four simple words, but only after experiencing it firsthand can one truly understand what it means to be unforgettable.
"I'm okay now," he comforted her again, "Don't cry..."
After that, there was only sobbing inside the carriage for a while. Song Yue held Qingchen's head and let her lean on his shoulder.
Once Qingchen calmed down, he reached out and gently wiped away her tears.
"The Golden Book and Iron Certificate, it belongs to Lu Shenyun, right?" he asked.
"Um."
“…That was the glory passed down through generations of the Lu family, it shouldn’t have been used to save me, I should die…”
She immediately covered his mouth, "You're not allowed to die. I'll give it back to him."
He slowly pulled her hand down and smiled faintly.
At this moment, the Imperial Guards escorting them rode over and said through the curtain, "Lord Shen, it seems someone is following us."
She frowned slightly. "Following? Who is it?"
"Judging from the looks of it, it's an assassin."
Qingchen's heart leaped into her throat. "An assassin?"
“Not surprising,” Song Yue said. “Now that I’ve fallen out with Xu Yan, he definitely won’t let me go. He must have sent assassins to prepare for the execution, so if anything goes wrong, they can take my life.”
"My lords, we will be able to leave the city soon. I have an old house in the mountains outside the city, which is usually deserted. The place is high in the mountains and shrouded in fog, so it is not easy to be discovered. Why don't we go there to hide for now?"
They couldn't go to the clinic. They couldn't return to their residence either; Song Yue was still a criminal, and if the court came to arrest him, she would have no choice but to hand him over again. Once he was back in prison, Xu Yan would have even more opportunities to take advantage of them.
For now, we can only hide.
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