The earth dragon turned over, and the mountains shook.

The vibration first came from under my feet, like a huge army of horses galloping past. Then the houses and trees on the ground also began to shake, and I couldn't even stand steadily.

The cracks on the ground spread rapidly like a spider web.

The Xishizhai built on the Xiaopan Mountain was also shaking. Yin Chengyu even heard panicked shouting and footsteps. It was the people on the mountain running down.

Rocks kept falling from the mountain, hitting the ground and stirring up clouds of dust.

All this happened in just a few breaths. Yin Chengyu stared at the small Panshan Mountain not far away. He had excellent eyesight, and when he saw the exposed mountainside of the steep mountain opposite with countless cracks, he suddenly had a bad premonition in his heart.

He took two steps back and subconsciously grabbed Xue Shu's wrist: "The mountain is about to collapse, order the troops to withdraw!"

More and more rocks were rolling down, getting closer and closer to them. Xue Shu protected Yin Chengyu and said in a heavy tone: "I will escort His Highness away first!"

Yin Chengyu grabbed his arm tightly: "No, let the herald pass the order first!"

The two looked at each other. Xue Shu saw the determination in his eyes and knew that he would never abandon his soldiers and leave. So he did not waste any more time and quickly went to find the messenger.

When Xue Shu met the generals who came looking for him along the way, he didn't have time to say much, he just shouted and asked them to pass the order immediately: withdraw the troops. Stay away from Xiaopan Mountain and Fuhuling, the farther the better.

The troops that joined the battle this time included not only the four guard camps but also the Qingzhou guards, totaling more than 10,000 people, all of whom were stationed in the open flat area below the Xiashi Fort, surrounding the exit of the Xiashi Fort.

But once something happens like now, it will take even more time to notify everyone to evacuate immediately.

When the earthquake first started, the soldiers panicked for a moment but then calmed down and stood firm in their positions waiting for orders. Earth dragons turning over were not uncommon in the North, and ordinary soldiers knew how to deal with them. There was no point in running at this time, so they just had to find an open area and wait for the earthquake to subside.

So when Yin Chengyu and Xue Shu rushed to the central army camp, the soldiers gathered outside the tent waiting for orders.

"Give the order to withdraw, immediately. Don't worry about the food and supplies, everyone leave immediately."

This was the first time that Yin Chengyu showed such an anxious look, and his tone was fast and urgent. The earthquake had not stopped yet, and it was getting more and more intense. People were shaking with the ground, and they could hardly stand steadily.

The heralds received the order, one stood on a high place and waved the flag, and another blew the horn to retreat.

Amid the roar of the falling rocks, the sound of horns calling for the troops to retreat spread quickly, one after another.

The soldiers on standby heard the retreat horn and immediately began to withdraw from Xiaopanshan.

"Let's go too."

Yin Chengyu glanced behind him, grabbed Xue Shu's hand tightly, and ran forward with him.

The ground shook more and more violently, and the tiny cracks gradually expanded to the width of a palm. Yin Chengyu ran forward desperately, his heart beating so hard that it was about to burst, but he didn't dare to look back.

Suddenly, there was a loud noise behind me, exploding like thunder in my ears, and then the whole world shook.

The falling rocks and mud were like a torrent, sweeping along the grass and trees.

The noise behind me was getting louder and louder, and the sound was getting closer and closer, as if it was right next to my ear.

Yin Chengyu was pulled forward by Xue Shu. He couldn't help but look back and saw that only half of Xiaopan Mountain was left standing.

The collapsed mountain slid down completely, and the rocks, soil, and vegetation rushed forward like a flood under the huge impact force. Some soldiers who fell behind were swept away before they even had time to dodge.

"Too fast, too late."

Xue Shu looked around and quickly selected a huge rock, and took Yin Chengyu to hide behind it. He held Yin Chengyu tightly in his arms, trying to wrap him up with his body, and whispered in his ear, "Don't be afraid."

The next moment, the boulder was hit, and rubble and dirt piled up like the sky and the earth.

It was pitch black all around, and the smell of earth filled my nose.

Yin Chengyu was in a daze for a moment before he realized that he was not dead yet. He tried to move, but found that he was buried in the earth and rocks below his waist and could not move. There was a warm chest behind him. It was Xue Shu who was holding him.

"Xue Shu?" Yin Chengyu felt around tentatively, but didn't run into anyone, so the first thing he touched was the rough bark.

He felt around carefully and confirmed that the big tree lying diagonally above them saved their lives - there was a huge rock behind them, and the big tree with lush branches happened to lie across the rock. Its branches blocked most of the soil and rocks, forming a small shelter.

"Your Highness?"

Xue Shu also woke up. He moved his stiff arms and carefully felt around Yin Chengyu's body, asking nervously, "Are you injured?"

Yin Chengyu felt a little dizzy, but didn't want him to worry, so he just said "no".

"What about you?" He tried to check Xue Shu's condition, but he was held in Xue Shu's arms from behind and could not move. He could only touch his arm.

"I'm fine too." Xue Shu buried his head in the crook of his neck and rubbed it gently.

Yin Chengyu calmed down, thought for a moment, and said, "The earthquake outside should have subsided. When they count the number of people and find that we are not here, they will definitely send someone to look for us. Next, let's talk less, save energy, and wait for others to come and look for us."

Xue Shu hummed, and hugged him even tighter.

The earthquake lasted for nearly two quarters of an hour, and the originally clear weather suddenly began to drizzle.

Ying Hongxue looked at the collapsed Fuhu Ridge and his expression became more and more solemn.

She didn't even wait for the earthquake to subside before unloading the horses from the carriage and jumping on board: "Are Xue Shu and the others unloading the Shizhai area?"

"Yes." Cui Ci followed her and mounted his horse, not understanding yet: "The military camp is stationed in an open area, so there should be no danger."

"There was a landslide. The direction should be Xiaopanshan." Ying Hongxue said very quickly.

The military camp was stationed in the empty area in front of Xiaopan Mountain.

Cui Ci's eyelids twitched, realizing the seriousness of the situation. He stopped talking nonsense and rode back after her.

The earthquake caused many sections of the official road to crack and collapse, and houses collapsed in all the villages along the way. The people who were lucky enough to escape knelt in the rain, kowtowed repeatedly, and prayed to God to calm his anger.

When the two arrived, they saw the Qingzhou guard commander was counting the number of people.

The small Panshan Mountain not far away was cut off, leaving only half of it. The collapsed rocks and mud buried the original military camp.

Cui Ci rode forward and asked, "Where are your highness and Supervisor Xue?"

The commander's face turned pale: "We haven't found the person yet. We are still looking for him."

In fact, there was another possibility that he dared not say, that is, the prince and Xue Jianguan were both buried in the pile of rocks.

After hearing the horn of retreat, they immediately retreated to the open space on both sides. However, the large number of people affected their speed. No matter how fast they hurried, they still couldn't evacuate completely, and more than 2,000 people died inside.

At that time, the Crown Prince and Supervisor Xue asked the herald to notify all the stationed troops, which probably delayed them for quite a while.

Cui Ci looked at the ruins in front of him, and his heart tightened. But now that Supervisor Xue was not there, he could only suppress his panic and stabilize the situation first: "The news that the prince and Supervisor Xue are missing should be suppressed first, and a team of people should be sent to search the surroundings. Then reorganize the troops, clear the pile of rocks, and search for the injured."

"Has anyone met Xue Shu in the end?" Ying Hongxue asked.

The commander didn't recognize her, but seeing her coming back with Cui Ci, he said, "The situation was urgent and chaotic. I only know that Supervisor Xue and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince were in the Central Army Camp, and the Central Army Camp was the last group to evacuate."

The garrison camps were arranged in a long strip, with the left and right ends withdrawn first and the middle ones last.

Ying Hongxue nodded and said to Cui Ci, "You take people to look for it first, I'll be back soon." Then he got on his horse again and headed towards Yidu City.

——She was going to look for He Shan.

In order to give He Shan time to evacuate Fuhu Ridge, she deliberately took Cui Ci to stay in Fuhu Ridge for another half an hour before coming out.

According to the time calculation, if nothing unexpected happens, He Shan should have brought his men to the vicinity of Yidu City by now.

When Ying Hongxue was halfway on the journey, he saw several horses galloping towards him.

She squinted her eyes and when she saw a familiar figure, she breathed a sigh of relief and put her fingers in her mouth and whistled.

Soon a whistle came from the opposite side.

Ying Hongxue then pulled the reins and waited for He Shan and his party to come over.

"Are you all right, brothers?"

"It's okay." He Shan heaved a sigh of relief when he saw her. "We are lucky. The earthquake happened when we were near Yidu City. If we were in Fuhuling, I'm afraid we wouldn't have anywhere to escape."

Ying Hongxue nodded when he heard this: "Go gather the people and follow me to Xiaopan Mountain."

"Where are you going and what are you doing?" He Shan hurriedly grabbed her and said, "I heard some noises. I think there was a landslide in Xiaopan Mountain and Fuhu Mountain. I don't know if the earth dragon has finished turning over. It's dangerous there."

"Xue Shu is very likely buried in there." Ying Hongxue slapped his hand away and rode back to Xiaopanshan first.

He Shan was shocked when he heard this, and quickly asked his subordinates to gather people, while he chased after Ying Hongxue.

There is no light around, and it is pitch dark even when you stretch your hand out. This makes people slow to perceive the passage of time.

Yin Chengyu couldn't tell how long he had been buried. He only felt that the temperature of his body was gradually dissipating and his head was getting more and more dizzy.

My body, which reacted belatedly, continued to feel waves of pain.

He tried not to make a sound, but just turned his body to the side, rested his head on Xue Shu's shoulder, and called softly, "Xue Shu."

"I'm here." Xue Shu responded softly, leaning his head over and rubbing his face against his.

After getting the response, Yin Chengyu felt relieved. He rested his head on his shoulder, tried hard to suppress the discomfort in his body, and forced himself to cheer up.

But the more I did this, the more dizzy my head became.

In a trance, he seemed to have returned to the moment before his death in his previous life, feeling equally powerless and tired.

That was already the winter of the third year of Suihe, and the New Year was only half a month away.

At that time, he ascended the throne and held great power, but his health was deteriorating because of the damage he suffered when he was imprisoned in the imperial mausoleum in his early years.

Although Emperor Longfeng was gone, he left him a shabby stall. Dayan was in turmoil due to internal and external troubles. He did not dare to relax for a moment. He worked day and night for several years, but in the end, his energy was exhausted.

All the symptoms broke out in the winter of that year and no medicine could cure them.

The imperial physician gave him acupuncture with trepidation and left, leaving only his younger brother Yin Chengyue by his side.

Yin Chengyue is almost ten years old and has been back in the palace for only five years. Yin Chengyu still has a lot to teach him, but time waits for no one, so he can only try his best to arrange his funeral affairs properly before he dies.

"With Zheng Duobao in the inner court and Xie Pingchuan in the imperial court, nothing will go wrong for at least three to five years... But power is dazzling, you must grow up as quickly as possible and take control of the government in your hands. This is the most secure way. You must never rely on others."

Zheng Duobao was the chief eunuch of the Imperial Household Department and had been loyal to him since childhood. Xie Pingchuan was his confidant who was promoted by him and even owed him a favor. They were both trustworthy candidates for the care of his son.

In addition, in the past few years since he ascended the throne, he had carried out drastic reforms and had almost purged all the court officials with dissidents. After much thought, there was only one person left who could threaten Yin Chengyue.

——Xue Shu, the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department and the commander-in-chief of the Western Factory.

Xue Shu was the sharpest blade, and when he was alive, he could still hold the blade in his hand and kill his enemies. But he could not guarantee that after he died, the blade would turn towards Yin Chengyue.

He never leaves any hidden dangers when doing things.

Xue Shu must die.

However, the words kept rolling in my throat and I couldn't utter them.

Perhaps it was because they had been entangled for too long and too deep, that at the critical moment, he actually felt a little reluctant to let go.

"Forget it, you go out first, let me think about it." Pinching the bridge of his nose tiredly, Yin Chengyu couldn't make up his mind after all.

When Yin Chengyue went out, he ran into Xue Shu coming in.

He seemed to have just returned from outside, and had not yet taken off his cloak. There were tiny particles of snow between his brows, and he looked even colder than the frost and snow outside.

Yin Chengyue had always been a little afraid of him, so after nodding and greeting him, he hurried away.

Xue Shu stopped in front of the inner hall door, untied his cloak and threw it to the young eunuch behind him, then went to the nine-dragon gilded heater in the corner to warm his hands until the coldness in his body dissipated, then he approached the bed.

The eunuchs and palace maids serving in the palace saw the situation and quietly retreated.

"Are you back?" Yin Chengyu raised his eyes to look at him, his expression a little complicated.

Since he fell ill, Xue Shu has been looking for a doctor for him. A few days ago, he heard that there was an old doctor with superb medical skills in Yanzhou Prefecture, Zhejiang, so he took his people and rushed to Zhejiang, and returned today.

"Well, that old fellow was only seeking fame and reputation, and his medical skills were not good, so he did not bring the patient back." After briefly explaining the result of the trip to Yanzhou Prefecture, Xue Shu showed no emotion on his face and talked about another matter.

"The imperial mausoleum has been completed. Your Majesty has not yet married and has no concubines. It is inevitable that you will feel lonely sleeping alone, so I ordered the craftsmen to build a coffin palace that can accommodate two people... In the future, I will be able to continue to serve Your Majesty in the underworld."

He sat down beside the couch and tucked in the brocade quilt for Yin Chengyu.

Her movements were light, her expression gentle, and at first glance she seemed a little gentle.

During these years, the two had exchanged interests and intertwined desires, but rarely had any tender affection. Yin Chengyu had gotten used to his occasional weirdness and sarcasm, and also got used to the desperate entanglement in bed.

This man is both a sharp blade and a ferocious beast, with plunder and stubbornness engraved in his bones. Gentleness is incompatible with him.

Now that he had suddenly changed his attitude, Yin Chengyu felt a little soft-hearted, and his already wavering thoughts became even more hesitant.

In the end, Yin Chengyu couldn't make up his mind and could only weakly scold "nonsense".

He thought, wait a little longer, wait a little longer.

Wait for him to think carefully about how to deal with this person.

But his illness refused to wait.

Three days later, his condition worsened again, and when he woke up from his coma again, Yin Chengyu suddenly felt that his end was near. He knew that this time he really couldn't hold on any longer.

His trusted courtiers knelt on the ground in front of the couch. He forced himself to stay awake and arrange his affairs after his death.

When it was Xue Shu's turn, he stared at him for a long time before he sighed and gave an oral order: "I order the eunuch Xue Shu to be the assistant minister, and together with Xie Yunchuan, the Grand Academician of the Wuying Palace, he will assist the crown prince and support the government. I hope you will not disappoint me."

In the end, I still couldn't bear to kill him.

The author has something to say:

Big Dog: Your Majesty is reluctant to kill me, Your Majesty loves me so much.

Gou Gou:?