What was unexpected was that the two young men, King Chen and King Chu, were so cruel and ruthless that they did not give the 400,000 soldiers any chance at all and buried them all alive.
"Has there been any news recently about Bai Wuhen, Liu Minghong, and Murong Jie? We've been trapped in Jincheng for days, and not a single word has come in. Don't you find it very suspicious?" Hai Quan was well aware of Chu Feiyang's methods. If his siege of Yun Qianmeng had angered Chu Feiyang, he was afraid he would use the same tactics against him. However, the silence of these days gave Hai Quan a bad feeling, a feeling that something big was about to happen.
When Yuan Yao heard Neptune's question, he could only shake his head helplessly. They had already spread the news to let the three people lead the troops to rescue.
But half a month has passed and none of the three people have sent back any news, which is really worrying.
"Your Highness, is there something wrong with those three?" After thinking about it, Yuan Yao felt that something had happened to them. Especially now that the King of Chu and the King of Chen had joined forces, the strength of their armies had increased greatly. It was really difficult for the King of the Sea to fight against the two armies alone.
Hai Quan hadn't anticipated this outcome. His thick eyebrows knitted together as he stared at the fireworks rising from the two armies in the distance, a sinister glint in his eyes...
Midnight.
"Boom, boom, boom..." Bursts of drumming sounds came from the military camp in the distance, immediately waking up the people in the city and the Sea King's army.
Hai Quan, dressed in military uniform, led the generals behind him to the top of the city wall, only to see that the outside of the city wall was already brightly lit with flames. Chu Feiyang and Jiang Muchen were both sitting upright on horseback, leading their respective armies to be on full alert.
"Chu Feiyang and Jiang Muchen, what do you two mean by this?" Standing on the city wall, Hai Quan looked at the thousands of troops in front of him, and unprecedented anger surged in his heart.
"Hai Quan, do you want to open the city gate and surrender, or do you want us to attack the city now? There are two ways, you choose one." Jiang Muchen's cold voice sounded in the silent night sky, and his expression at this moment was full of murderous intent. His eyes, slightly raised and shot towards the city wall, were filled with extremely murderous intent, which made people afraid.
"Chu Feiyang, have you forgotten that Jiang Muchen once led 400,000 troops to besiege Jincheng, hoping to capture Yun Qianmeng alive? You're actually willing to join forces with such a despicable villain. Don't you feel resentful? Even if you and Jiang Muchen capture Chaocheng today, what's the point? Do you think he'll give up on Yun Qianmeng?" Hai Quan ignored Jiang Muchen and shouted at Chu Feiyang. The hint of provocation in his words was obvious.
Yuan Yao listened to Haiquan's words and gradually retreated. When the people below the city could no longer see him, he quickly turned around and walked down the tower...
Chu Feiyang sat upright on his horse. After hearing Hai Quan's provocative words, he just sneered. His cold eyes turned to Hai Quan, who looked a little uneasy on the city wall, and said indifferently: "I am not in a hurry, so why should Prince Hai be in a hurry? It's really true that the emperor is not anxious, but the eunuchs are!"
The last sentence 'The emperor is not anxious, but the eunuch is' made Hai Quan's face flash with a hint of coldness.
However, after watching Chu Feiyang sitting upright on his horse and talking to him with his usual calm demeanor, Hai Quan's heart suddenly tightened, and the uneasiness in his heart was gradually growing...
'Woo, woo, woo...' At this time, the sound of a horn blew from the distant military camp. Coming from afar in the dark night, the dull whimpering sound slowly entered everyone's ears with the night wind like a death warrant.
The Sea King's soldiers on the city wall looked solemn, but they were nervous in their hearts because of the sound of the trumpets.
"Haiquan, do you have anything else to say?" Jiang Muchen looked at him coldly, his patience worn out by the waiting, and asked in a cold voice.
The fist against the city wall glowed white. Hai Quan's elegant demeanor completely faded, replaced by a murderous aura. He stared at the two leaders with bloodthirsty eyes and said in a deep voice, "Jiang Muchen, you are not qualified to give orders to this king."
"Hmph, you still dare to be stubborn when you are about to die. After the city is captured, you will know whether I have the qualifications to order you around." Jiang Muchen snorted coldly, but his tone was extremely arrogant.
"'I'? Jiang Muchen, you have the nerve to call yourself 'I'! Aren't you afraid of making people laugh?" Hai Quan was not willing to be outdone, and immediately ridiculed Jiang Muchen.
"Sea King, you should take a look at what this is first. Someone come here." Chu Feiyang glanced coldly at Hai Quan and Jiang Muchen who were arguing. His clear voice rang out amid the quarrel. His strong internal strength carried this voice like a spring breeze to every corner around him.
I saw a guard immediately ride forward on horseback to the open space between the two armies, throw the things in his hands on the ground, and then quickly run back to his own camp.
The Sea King soldiers upstairs looked down, only to discover that the guard had dropped three human heads, each with a Sea King general's helmet still attached to it...
Hai Quan's expression suddenly changed, and his body suddenly tilted and fell to the side...
"Your Highness..." Yuan Yao's heart trembled as he quickly reached out to support Hai Quan, his eyes filled with pain. If he wasn't mistaken, the three heads were Bai Wuhen, Liu Minghong, and Murong Jie. He hadn't expected Jiang Muchen and Chu Feiyang to be so cruel, not only killing them but also chopping off their heads to insult the Sea King.
Hai Quan's face was pale, his lips were tightly pursed, the murderous look in his eyes was filled with strong hatred, and his heart was dripping with blood.
The generals he had brought up were killed so easily by Chu Feiyang and others.
His great cause was destroyed by two young men.
It was a complete failure, a complete failure. Why was it that every time he was about to touch the throne, he was always stopped? Why couldn't Heaven let him sit on it? How unfair was Heaven? What did the Jiang family have? They were inferior to the Hai family in strategy, inferior to the Chu family in military power, inferior to the Rong family in financial resources. The Jiang family only sat on the throne because of the support of the Chu and Rong families. But the Hai family had everything they wanted. Why couldn't they let him ascend to the throne of supreme power?
"Kill!" A resounding voice echoed along the night wind, and hundreds of thousands of troops immediately marched in unison towards the city gates...
"Prince, Prince, let's retreat quickly, otherwise it will be too late." Looking at the dark mass of enemy troops below, Yuan Yao was sweating profusely. He held Hai Quan's hands and exerted a little force, trying to bring the silent Hai Quan back to reality.
"Retreat? Retreat to where? How could Chu Feiyang give us a chance to escape? If he hadn't made full preparations, why would he launch an attack tonight? This Western Chu is vast, but it is no longer under my control. If he hadn't been fully prepared, why would he have trapped us here for more than a month?" Hai Quan smiled bitterly, physically and mentally exhausted, and the weariness in his eyes was stronger than ever. Looking at the city wall that was shaking after being hit by the chariot, a trace of despair gradually crept onto Hai Quan's face.
Yuan Yao's face froze. Seeing the Sea King like this, a trace of sorrow welled up in his heart. Was this the hero's end? Clearly, there was a bright future ahead, with the prince poised to ascend the throne and become emperor. But one misstep led to another. Now, the east, south, and north sides had all been lost. This meant that Jiang Muchen and Chu Feiyang had already taken control of all the Sea King's troops. All they had left was this imperial city and a few hundred thousand men. Even if they fought tooth and nail, they couldn't defeat the armies commanded by Chu Chen and the others.
With a loud bang, the huge and solid city gate of Chaocheng was blasted open by the chariots, and tens of thousands of Chen Wang's army and Chu Wang's army instantly poured into the city gate...
The sounds of weapons clashing, wailing and crying, and killing and slaughtering were endless. Hai Quan slowly closed his eyes, but his mood was extremely calm.
"Your Highness, let's leave quickly! Before Prince Chen and Prince Chu can storm the city walls, we, the humble servants, will escort Your Highness to safety, even if it means risking our lives." Yuan Yao couldn't bear to see the usually triumphant Prince Hai reduced to such a state of dejection. He took Hai Quan's hand, knelt down, and pleaded, "As long as Your Highness lives, there will be a chance to start over, Your Highness..."
"Yuan Yao, go now." Hai Quan only heard this extremely calm voice. He slowly opened his eyes, looked straight ahead at the dark night, and said calmly, "Once the opportunity is lost, it will never come back. How many more twenty years do you think I have left? My sons have died or been captured. I am tired. Go now. Don't mention your past in front of others in the future, or you will be hunted down."
Shaking off Yuan Yao's tightly grasping hand, Hai Quan drew the sword from his waist and carefully examined the cold, shining blade in the moonlight and candlelight...
"Da da da..." There was a sound of people going up to the city wall. Yuan Yao stood up instantly and protected Hai Quan in the middle with the guards around him.
Chu Feiyang, dressed in armor, led his troops to climb the city wall first. After seeing Hai Quan, Chu Feiyang raised his hand and temporarily stopped the attack.
"You have time to escape." Chu Feiyang stared at Hai Quan's back with indifferent eyes and spoke in a cold voice.
When Chu Feiyang said this, Jiang Muchen also rushed up with a large group of people. Seeing that Chu Feiyang and Hai Quan were in a truce, Jiang Muchen's brows suddenly frowned.
Hearing this, Hai Quan slowly turned his head, his eyes always on Chu Feiyang, and asked in a deep voice: "Chu Feiyang, Shen Xi is in your hands, right?"
"Yes." Chu Feiyang answered without hesitation, already guessing what would happen to Hai Quan.
"I have only one wish at this moment, and that is that you let him go. That child's heart is not in the world. Now that his mother's revenge has been avenged, it's time to let him live his own life." Hai Quan stared at Chu Feiyang and spoke his request very slowly.
"If you die now, do you think he will still live as he pleases?" Chu Feiyang asked back, without any sympathy for Hai Quan.
Since ancient times, the winner is the king and the loser is the bandit. If I am defeated today, this ending is prepared for me.
Moreover, when the Sea King's army shot arrows at the inn where Meng'er lived, did they have any mercy in their hearts? Did they ever consider that those arrows could miss and kill the people in the city at any time?
"Hahaha..." Unexpectedly, Hai Quan laughed out loud, his laughter was mixed with a strong sense of unwillingness and loss...
Everyone only felt a flash of cold light before their eyes, a silver light streaked across a silver arc under the moonlight, and a column of blood gushed out from Hai Quan's neck...
"Bang..." Hai Quan's body jumped out of the city wall and fell straight down to the ground.
"Clang..." The long sword that Hai Quan had just held in his hand fell to the bone-chilling city wall. Drops of blood gradually dripped from the cold tip of the sword, spreading a bloodstain on the green wall...
"Your Highness..." Yuan Yao, lying on the city wall, suddenly stretched out his hands to grab Hai Quan's body, but he didn't expect that Hai Quan had already made up his mind to die, and no one could change his mind.
Yuan Yao's eyes were red. Who would have thought that the once glorious Sea King would choose to commit suicide to end his life? Yuan Yao was grief-stricken but unable to resist the two kings in front of him. He led the remaining generals to kneel in front of Chu Feiyang, waiting for his disposal.
Chu Feiyang felt heavy-hearted because of Hai Quan's death, and he also sighed for Hai Quan's life.
If Hai Quan had been willing to be king, his life would have been glorious. Why did he end up defeated and committing suicide?
However, looking at Yuan Yao kneeling in front of him, Chu Feiyang only said to him coldly, "Your head has already been taken!"
Without waiting for Yuan Yao to cast his surprised gaze at him, Chu Feiyang waved to the guards standing behind Yuan Yao and asked them to take Yuan Yao away.
"Your Highness, someone has found the relatives of the Sea King in the secret passage of the imperial city." The guards ran up to the city wall one after another to report the battle situation, but the news they brought this time shocked everyone.
"Let's go and take a look." Without waiting for Jiang Muchen to speak, Chu Feiyang led his troops and walked quickly towards the bottom of the city wall.
Jiang Muchen frowned, staring at Chu Feiyang's back with a murderous look in his eyes, but he walked down the city wall.
A team of Chu King's soldiers formed a circle and took custody of the relatives of the Prince of the Sea's Palace. Chu Feiyang glanced over and saw the Princess of the Sea, Princess Qian and other female relatives of the Prince of the Sea's Palace. Princess Qian was holding a child in her arms. The child stared at the two armies with knives around them with big, frightened eyes, and trembled in Princess Qian's arms.
"I never thought Hai Quan was so cruel. He couldn't bear to kill his own grandson and found other children to die in his place. But he didn't expect that the net of heaven is vast and nothing can escape it, and those who deserve to die can't escape it after all!" Jiang Muchen also discovered the child in the arms of Princess Qian. Naturally, the only person who could be protected by Princess Qian like this was Hai Rui.
Upon hearing this, Chu Feiyang raised an eyebrow and asked coldly, "When three armies fight, the victor takes all, so how can there be such a thing as the law of nature? Could it be that King Chen believes he is fair?"
After ridiculing Jiang Muchen, Chu Feiyang immediately ordered the guards, "Lock them all up and behead them at Caishikou at noon tomorrow."
"The Sea King rebelled, and his family members should be killed immediately. Why wait until tomorrow noon? Chu Feiyang, don't forget, I am the emperor of Western Chu!" Jiang Muchen was already furious at Chu Feiyang's words, and immediately gave orders to the soldiers around him.
"Hmph, Emperor? Prince Chen might not be awake yet. Do you need me to sort things out for you again?" Chu Feiyang then spoke in a deep voice, his eyes filled with solemnity as he instructed Xi Lin, "Pass on my order. Anyone who surrenders must not be killed. Those who disobey will be punished by military law."
"Yes, Your Highness." Xi Lin nodded to Meng Tao, and then saw Meng Tao turned around and left with a calm expression to handle the matter.
"Chu Feiyang, how can you decide this matter alone? I am the emperor of Western Chu." Seeing Chu Feiyang making the decision on his own, Jiang Muchen drew his sword and pointed it at Chu Feiyang's back.
'When...' Little did he know, Chu Feiyang had already prepared himself. When Jiang Muchen thrust out his sword, he also turned around. The two swords clashed. Chu Feiyang's face was extremely cold. "Hai Quan is dead, and the agreement between you and me no longer exists. From this moment on, you and I are enemies again."
In the northwest camp of the King of Chu’s army.
Chu Feiyang left the task of cleaning up the battlefield to Meng Tao and others, and returned to the military camp first.
Looking up at the rare sunny weather, Chu Feiyang's mind flashed through Yun Qianmeng's figure, and a warm smile involuntarily appeared at the corner of his lips.
After laughing and missing her, Chu Feiyang put away all the expressions on his face about Yun Qianmeng and walked towards a tent.
He lifted the curtain and stepped into the tent. There was only one person inside the huge tent. Upon seeing Chu Feiyang come in, Hai Chenxi flashed a sneer across his face. Deep pain was hidden in his sinister eyes, but he spoke coldly and arrogantly, "The war drums kept beating in the camp last night. I think the King of Chu must have won a great victory!"
Chu Feiyang did not speak immediately. He walked to the table, picked one of the stools and sat down, then poured himself a cup of hot tea. Only then did Chu Feiyang turn his attention to Hai Chenxi.
Although he was not captured, Hai Chenxi did not show any sign of decadence, and his eyes still contained wisdom. Otherwise, how could he have guessed everything just by the sound of war drums?
"What result do you want to hear?" Chu Feiyang said calmly after taking a sip of hot tea. His attitude towards Hai Chenxi was not that of a prisoner.
Upon hearing this, a self-deprecating sneer appeared on Hai Chenxi's face, but his eyes fell on the chains binding his hands and feet. He then spoke without emotion, "I, the Prince of Chu, do not understand what you are saying. In a war, if you don't win, you will lose. How can you expect the Prince of Chu to say whatever I want to hear?"
"Hai Quan committed suicide by jumping off the city wall." Chu Feiyang told Hai Chenxi about Hai Quan's fate when Hai Chenxi was completely unprepared.
Upon hearing this news, Hai Chenxi maintained a sneer on his face, but a trace of sadness flashed across his eyes. After a brief silence, a laugh that even he himself could not stop rang out in the tent.
"Hahaha..." As if he had heard a very funny joke, Hai Chenxi actually lay down on the bed, covering his eyes and laughing to himself.
After a while, he finally stopped laughing, and then he asked again and again, "Is he really dead?"
"Before he died, the person he couldn't let go of the most was you. He hoped that you could live a free and unrestrained life." However, Chu Feiyang was not interested in playing word games with Hai Chenxi. As if he didn't hear Hai Chenxi's question, Chu Feiyang finished the next sentence.
"Dead. Haha, it's better to die. Why live so hard? Since you decided to fight for power, you must be prepared to be torn to pieces. Isn't life a game? If you win the bet, you are the king. If you lose, you are just a corpse." Hai Chenxi seemed not to hear Chu Feiyang's words, and said everything that he had been holding in his heart for a long time.
However, the brighter he smiled, the more obvious the sorrow in his eyes became, mixed with the deep hatred that was originally hidden in his eyes, making it difficult to tell what kind of mood Hai Chenxi was in after hearing the news about Hai Quan.
"Think about it carefully." Chu Feiyang did not linger any longer, and immediately stood up and walked out of the tent.
"Cousin." Unexpectedly, Xiahou An'er was already standing outside the tent, looking at the tent through a curtain with concern. Seeing Chu Feiyang walk out, Xiahou An'er immediately stepped forward quickly, his clear eyes filled with pleading.
How could Chu Feiyang not know what Xiahou An'er was thinking? Seeing people coming and going outside the tent, he winked at Xiahou An'er and brought her to the commander's tent. Then he said, "He is a smart man and would never do such a thing!"
Xiahou An'er stood before Chu Feiyang, feeling uneasy. Recalling the news she had just heard from the Chu army returning to the camp, her heart suddenly tightened. She mustered her courage and raised her head, frowning as she asked, "I heard that relatives of the Sea King's Palace were captured in Chaocheng. Right now, Prince Chen is supervising the Chen army to publicly behead all those associated with the Sea King. And Han Che..."
The special care that Prince Duan and his companions had shown Han Che these days had made the clever Xiahou An immediately guess that Han Che was unusual. However, he did not expect that what he learned from Concubine Qu was a shocking secret.
Han Che had narrowly escaped death, all thanks to a single arrow from the Sea King. Now that Hai Quan had been defeated, and Hai Chenxi was his most beloved son, Xiahou An'er was truly worried that Han Che would make Hai Chenxi pay for his father's debts.
How could Chu Feiyang not see what Xiahou An'er wanted to express behind her hesitant words?
It was precisely because he understood Xiahou An'er's meaning that Chu Feiyang frowned slightly, and then said in a deep voice: "Hai Chenxi is the son of the Sea King. This is something that cannot be changed."
"But...but..." Hearing Chu Feiyang's firm tone, Xiahou An'er felt anxious and lost for words, not knowing how to convince Chu Feiyang. Her beautiful eyes were already misty, and her tender red lips were clearly bitten with teeth marks.
However, when Xiahou An'er thought of the extremely sad laughter she had just heard outside the tent, she suddenly took a step forward and knelt down in front of Chu Feiyang.
"Silly girl, what are you doing? Get up quickly!" Xiahou An'er was Chu Feiyang's most beloved sister. How could he let Xiahou An'er kneel to him? After he finished speaking, he stretched out his hands, intending to help Xiahou An'er up.
Unexpectedly, Xiahou An'er was stubborn and brushed away Chu Feiyang's outstretched hands. She raised her head firmly and pleaded, "Cousin, please let him go. He's just a pitiful man. Now that the Sea King's army has been destroyed, Haichenxi is not a threat at all. Please let him go. If you delay any longer, I'm worried that Prince Chen, Han Che and others will attack him."
By the end of her speech, Xiahou An'er was sobbing and clutching the hem of Chu Feiyang's robe tightly with both hands, begging bitterly.
A gentle hand gently placed on her head, caressing her hair softly. Chu Feiyang felt sorry to see his beloved sister trapped in love, but he had to let her face reality. "Now you have guessed Han Che's identity. He will be the emperor of Western Chu in the future. Where do you think Hai Chenxi can escape to? Besides, as you just said, Hai Chenxi has nothing now. How can he survive like this? How can he resist being hunted? Letting him go is just the beginning of another game of dabbling. Silly girl, why are you so stubborn? There are so many talented young men in Western Chu, why are you so obsessed with Hai Chenxi who has nothing?"
Listening to Chu Feiyang's persuasion, Xiahou An'er shook her head hard, tears in her eyes instantly sliding down her face. She only heard Xiahou An'er reply in a trembling voice: "No matter how good the young talent is, he is not Haichenxi. There are so many famous ladies in Western Chu. Why doesn't my cousin give his wife to Prince Chen and choose another lady?"
This rhetorical question left Chu Feiyang speechless. However, the hand that stroked Xiahou An'er's hair was still gentle. He then helped Xiahou An'er up and pulled her to sit beside him. Chu Feiyang sighed softly and said slowly, "You are right. From the three thousand rivers, only one scoop can be taken. How can anyone else replace you?"
Seeing Chu Feiyang's attitude soften, Xiahou An'er hurriedly grabbed Chu Feiyang's hand and said nervously, "Cousin, let him go. I'm willing to follow him around the world, please."
"You are pleading for him like this, have you ever thought that this is what Hai Chenxi wants? Hai Chenxi has always been proud and will never let anyone touch his pride. You are asking for a chance to survive for him. Do you think he will treat you well after knowing it?" Chu Feiyang always thought of much more than Xiahou An'er.
Perhaps it was because Xiahou An'er was his cousin, or perhaps he had not taken good care of Xiahou An'er during this period, which made Chu Feiyang even more worried about Xiahou An'er's future happiness.
"Being able to save my life now is the best outcome. No matter how he treats me after knowing the truth in the future, this is the path I have chosen. I will never regret it. Please help me, brother!" Xiahou An'er suddenly raised his tear-soaked face and said with great determination.
Seeing her persistence, Chu Feiyang fell into deep thought. Just when Xiahou An'er thought she was about to give up, Chu Feiyang's voice rang in her ears, "From now on, hide your identity, never set foot in the capital again, and live a life of chopping wood, washing clothes, and cooking. Will you regret it?"
"No regrets." It was still a resounding answer.
Chu Feiyang raised his right hand and tapped Xiahou An'er's flawless forehead, smiling faintly, "Silly girl, how could I bear to let you live in such poverty?"
Chu Feiyang paused, then put away the smile on his face. With an extremely serious expression, he said, "Hai Chenxi is extremely capable, and this is a fact known to everyone. Although he still hates Hai Quan in his heart, Hai Quan is his father after all, and he loves him so much that there is no guarantee that Hai Chenxi will not seek revenge for Hai Quan. Therefore, I will send secret guards to escort you away. If he has any intention of undermining the country, the secret guards will take action."
The implication was to keep Hai Chenxi under surveillance. If Hai Chenxi had no desire to avenge Hai Quan, he would have lived like an ordinary citizen, and the secret guards would not have appeared to disturb his life.
However, once Hai Chenxi had the intention of revenge, the secret guards would quietly eliminate him.
This is Chu Feiyang's biggest concession!
"Cousin!" Xiahou An'er stood up excitedly, her face a mixture of smiles and tears, a look of mixed joy and sorrow. However, she knew that her request had put her cousin in a difficult position. Besides, what could be more important than keeping Hai Chenxi alive?
Chu Feiyang also stood up, smiled and touched Xiahou An'er's hair one last time, and said softly: "Go and pack up, I will send you away tonight."
Xiahou An'er nodded hard, bowed to Chu Feiyang, then turned and walked out of the tent.
But she didn't know that the secret guards' arrangement also had two sides. In addition to monitoring Hai Chenxi's every move, the secret guards could also rescue them when they were in danger...
Prince's Palace of Northern Qi.
Rong Rong led the maid into the courtyard south of the Prince's Mansion. Seeing Yun Qianmeng, dressed in a snow-white fox fur coat, sitting by the window embroidering children's clothes, she smiled and said, "Meng'er, eat this bowl of bird's nest quickly."
Yun Qianmeng looked up and saw Rong Rong approaching. She couldn't help but smile and said, "Sister Rong is here. Please take a seat."
Rong Rong didn't sit down immediately. Instead, she walked over to Yun Qianmeng and held her hands, which had been resting outside embroidering. Her brows furrowed slightly as she hurriedly asked the maids to close the window. She gently scolded her, "You're pregnant, how can you leave the window open in this heavy snow? What if you catch a cold? Come on, warm yourself up with the porcelain cup."
As she spoke, Rong Rong took the porcelain cup from the maid's hand, and when she saw that the temperature was just right, she placed it into Yun Qianmeng's slightly cold hands.
Yun Qianmeng was grateful for Yu Rongrong's thoughtfulness. Looking at the increasingly heavy snow outside the window, she couldn't help but ask, "Sister, why did you come here in person when it's snowing so heavily today? I have maids here to serve me, so nothing will happen."
Seeing Yun Qianmeng's calm expression, Rong Rong felt the pressure in her heart about to burst out, but she suppressed it forcefully. She could only smile and say, "You're about to give birth, so I have to come and see you to put my mind at ease. Childbirth is a big deal for women, and this is your first time, so we can't be careless. Besides, I have to give the midwives and maids repeated instructions to avoid any confusion. Meng'er, have you felt any discomfort these past two days?"
As she spoke, Rong Rong stared at Yun Qianmeng's expression cautiously, her hands hidden in her wide sleeves tightly twisting a handkerchief, and she was very worried.
However, seeing Yun Qianmeng looking out the window, Rong Rong couldn't help but feel a little distressed. She knew very well that Yun Qianmeng opened the window every day just to see the returning figure of King Chu.
Even though the Sea King had committed suicide and his army had surrendered, there was still a King of Chen. The two kings were equally powerful, and minor conflicts had been ongoing recently. I was afraid that a major battle would ensue within the next few days.
Yun Qianmeng smiled faintly as she turned her gaze from the window to Rong Rong. She caught a glimpse of nervousness and worry in Rong Rong's eyes, and her heart tightened. She replied calmly, "I've been feeling heavier lately, and my stomach feels swollen. I think this is a sign of late pregnancy. Sister Rong has finally recovered, and she should be taking good care of herself. How can she work so hard every day just for me? It's freezing outside, and it would be terrible if she fell."
Rong Rong took Yun Qianmeng's half-finished pattern and examined it carefully before speaking, "You're the only one in the Crown Prince's Mansion with whom I enjoy talking. I'd love to come sit with you. The princess's embroidery is even more exquisite. The pattern on this child's bellyband is incredibly lifelike and truly lifelike."
Yun Qianmeng saw Rong Rong actually praising her embroidery skills. Thinking of the handkerchief that Chu Feiyang had snatched away, she couldn't help but smile, "Sister Rong, please don't tease me. My embroidery skills are nothing special. It's just that I've been bored lately, and because I had a miscarriage a while ago, I can't move around too much, so I found this good way to kill time."
Rong Rong followed Yun Qianmeng's smile and chuckled as well.
Seeing that Rong Rong was in an especially good mood today and smiling a lot, Yun Qianmeng asked with a smile, "Sister Rong, what's wrong with you today? Why are you smiling so sweetly? Is there any good news?"
Seeing that Yun Qianmeng had guessed her mood from her expression, Rong Rong stopped hiding it. She lowered her head to look at Yun Qianmeng's embroidery and said with a smile, "Emperor Ling Xiao has just issued an edict granting Jing Yuan and me a marriage. The wedding will be held in mid-August."
Although it was not her first time riding in a bridal sedan, this time Rong Rong's smile was genuine. The faint smile on her cheek was like intoxicating sake. Even people who just looked at her could feel her joy.
Yun Qianmeng was naturally happy for her. After going through so many hardships and being away from her family to come to this foreign country, Rong Rong was now able to marry her lover, which was the best gift from God to her.
"This is truly the greatest joy. Congratulations, sister." Yun Qianmeng smiled and congratulated, but she still had a question in her mind. Although she knew it was a bit abrupt, she still asked Rong Rong in a very low voice, "Sister Rong, what about Hai Tian?"
Hearing Yun Qianmeng lower her voice and ask about Hai Tian's whereabouts, Rong Rong's brows flashed with pity, and then she said, "I didn't want to tell you this. After all, you are pregnant now, and I am afraid of scaring the child."
"Did something happen to Hai Tian?" Even so, Yun Qianmeng knew from Qi Jingyuan that Hai Tian's life would not be easy if she married into the Crown Prince's Mansion. Furthermore, Hai Tian had sent someone to frame Rong Rong in the Western Chu Imperial Palace, causing her so much pain. Qi Jingyuan would definitely not let Hai Tian go.
Rong Rong sighed softly, then slowly said, "Hai Tian is also pregnant now."
As soon as these words came out, Yun Qianmeng's eyes flashed with surprise, and she couldn't help but stare at Rong Rong, waiting for her to explain clearly.
Rong Rong also knew that Yun Qianmeng was pregnant and couldn't be anxious, so she immediately continued, "Hai Tian and Qi Jingxuan had an affair and became pregnant. When Emperor Ling Xiao learned of this, he was furious. Not only did he take away Qi Jingxuan's military power, he also scolded him in public. Regardless of whether Hai Tian won Jing Yuan's heart or not, she always maintained her status as the Crown Princess of Northern Qi. Qi Jingxuan had an affair with the current Crown Princess, a crime that was unforgivable. In addition, he contradicted Emperor Ling Xiao a few times in the palace, and in front of all the civil and military officials, Emperor Ling Xiao ordered him to be reduced to a commoner and exiled to the frontier, never to set foot in the imperial capital again. Hai Tian, however, was charged with violating the moral code of a woman and sentenced to be beheaded at Caishikou three days later."
After she finished speaking, Rong Rong's happy expression disappeared. Although her face was calm, her eyes were filled with pity for Hai Tian.
Yun Qianmeng fell into deep thought. Emperor Ling Xiao dared to behead the princess sent by Western Chu to marry a foreign prince. This might be related to the civil war in Western Chu at that time.
Could it be that the Sea King had been defeated? Without her support, Hai Tian was just a weak woman, and Emperor Ling Xiao naturally would not take her seriously. Furthermore, with the civil unrest in Western Chu and the throne uncertain, the princess would have no support from the state if she married into Northern Qi. It's no wonder Emperor Ling Xiao used this incident to immediately kill Hai Tian.
But, how could someone as smart as Hai Tian have an affair with Qi Jingxuan, get pregnant, and then have it exposed? Moreover, Hai Tian only had Chu Feiyang in her heart from beginning to end, so how could she commit herself to Qi Jingxuan?
I'm afraid the mastermind behind all this is Qi Jingyuan, who can't wait to marry Rong Rong into his house.
"Meng'er, are you scared?" Seeing Yun Qianmeng remain silent for a long time, with a slightly frown on her face, Rong Rong thought Yun Qianmeng was frightened by the word 'beheaded' and asked hurriedly. Her gentle eyes paid close attention to Yun Qianmeng's expression.
Yun Qianmeng smiled gently, but just shook her head in the face of Rong Rong's sincere and caring gaze.
The two chatted for a while. Rong Rong saw that Yun Qianmeng looked tired, so she stood up and said goodbye. Before leaving, she carefully instructed the maids to serve her carefully, and then she left with peace of mind.
Yun Qianmeng gently pushed open the window and saw Rong Rong had already left the yard. Then she called out, "Qiao Ying."
"Princess, what do you want me to do?" Ever since the last incident that nearly killed Yun Qianmeng in the fire, Qiao Ying had been feeling extremely guilty. Now she was always by Yun Qianmeng's side to prevent the same thing from happening again.
"Has a lot of things happened outside recently? But you never told me, right?" Yun Qianmeng closed the carved wooden window and turned to look at Qiao Ying. Although his tone was calm, there was a hint of sharpness in his eyes.
This made Qiao Ying's heart skip a beat, and she immediately realized that she could not hide the truth from the princess.
Qiao Ying knelt in front of Yun Qianmeng and confessed honestly, "Three months ago, the prince and Prince Chen joined forces to attack Chaocheng. Prince Hai was defeated and committed suicide."
"What else?" Seeing that Qiao Ying only reported good news and not bad news, Yun Qianmeng's brows suddenly frowned and his eyes became more fierce.
Seeing she could no longer conceal the truth, Qiao Ying unburdened herself of everything that had transpired over the past few months. "Xi Lin sent word two days ago that the Prince and Prince Chen will be fighting near the capital in the near future. Over the past two or three months, the Prince and Prince Chen's armies have fought their way all the way from the north to the capital. Both armies have lost many generals, and their numbers have been drastically reduced. I'm afraid this battle will be the final outcome."
After listening to Qiao Ying's report, Yun Qianmeng gradually tightened her grip on the cloth in her hands, and the tension in her heart was conveyed through this action.
A war involving millions of people could destroy everything. This was the reason why Chu Feiyang had kept it a secret from Qiao Ying, fearing that she would become anxious after hearing it.
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